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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday held his first meeting with the Council of State, urging the members of the Council to lend him the needed support to meet the aspirations of Ghanaians.

   “The Principal responsibility that I have is to lead the government that is going to get our economy working again and that is the way that our young men and women are going to get jobs… I am counting on all of you to give me the maximum assistance so that that brighter future that the Ghanaian people are expecting, that led them to vote for me and my party, on the 7th of December, will be realised,” he said.

    The President had earlier on sworn into the Council of State, the immediate former Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, who retired from that office, a fortnight ago. Her induction into the Council completes the mandatory 25-man body that would lend advice to the president on pertinent issues affecting the nation. 

   He thanked the Council of State for the efficient and expeditious manner that they had dealt with all the appointments that had been referred to it and for the pieces of advice they had given him.

   The President said he was particularly pleased that the Council had initiated moves to examine the effects of the galamsey phenomenon across country, saying that this “signaled your concern and determination to be part of the solution to the problem of the galamsey phenomenon.”

   He reminded the members of the importance of the Council of State in Ghana’s governance landscape, but urged them to ensure that their activities do not clog the operations of government and other institutions of our Republic.

“I believe that there is an underlying premise which is about the quality of those who should be members of this body – men and women of experience. People who know what is required to be done about the welfare of the Ghanaian people and therefore, the powers that you have would be exercised with circumspection.

   “The Constitution requires that you meet in camera largely because of the confidential nature of the advice that you give the President or any other institution but again, where you think that it is appropriate, you can open your doors to the public for them to come and witness your proceedings,” he said.

  “So it is clear that you are playing an extremely important role in the governance of our nation and it is underlined by these constitutional provisions,” the President added.

   Fortunately for the nation, President Akufo-Addo said, the current composition of the council was reflective of a very broad spectrum of very eminent citizens of Ghana drawn from political life, public life, traditional authorities, security services, people from the world of business, other professions – a very broad spectrum of people who had come together and collectively meeting to give meaningful advice to the President and the various institutions.

“I am counting on you a lot to assist me. These are very heavy responsibilities that are imposed upon the President under our constitutional order. He is the executive and his authority is widespread.

“It is important that any human being given the power that has been reserved for the President under our constitution had people who can provide the needed support and be credible in order to make such interventions,” he said.