Akufo-Addo leaves for Ivory Coast to attend late Prime Minister’s funeral
President Nana Akufo-Addo, left Ghana on Tuesday, 16th March 2021, for Cote d’Ivoire, to attend the funeral of the late Hamed Bakayoko, Prime Minister of Cote d’Ivoire.
According to a statement from the Presidency, he is attending the funeral in his capacity as Chairman of ECOWAS.
The funeral to be held on Wednesday, March 17, 2021, will come off in Abidjan, the capital of Cote d’Ivoire.
An eight-day period of national mourning for the late Prime Minister was announced by President Alassane Ouattara last Thursday, with the burial scheduled for Friday, 19th March.
“President Akufo-Addo was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, MP, and officials of the Presidency and the Foreign Ministry,” the statement added.
The President will return to Ghana on Wednesday, 17th February 2021, and in his absence, the Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, shall, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the Constitution, act in his stead.
Hamed Bakayoko died in a hospital in Germany.
Bakayoko, who was receiving treatment for cancer, passed away on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, just days after his 56th birthday.
He was appointed prime minister in July, following the sudden death of his predecessor Amadou Gon Coulibaly.
President Alassane Ouattara described Mr. Bakayoko as a “great statesman, an example to young people and a man of exemplary loyalty”.
Mr Bakayoko was flown to France in February for medical tests and was later transferred to Germany due to his deteriorating health.