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The United Kingdom (UK) will work with whichever candidate is elected president of Ghana in the country’s presidential election in November this year, the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Jon Benjamin, has assured.

“We don’t think it even needs to be said, that we will always – always – happily work with whoever is elected in Ghana at any given election. We favour no party and we have no candidate,” he added. 

Mr Benjamin also noted that Ghana’s status and reputation as a democratic nation would be further bolstered in November this year, during its seventh democratic election. A peaceful, safe and fair election would see Ghana cement its place as the leading democratic country in West Africa, the British High Commissioner has stated.

He said the UK recognised that the path of electoral democracy was often bumpy, with its own share of potholes and that was why just recently, the British government announced a £4 million Deepening Democratic Governance Programme funded by its Department for International Development (DfID). 

He gave an assurance that the project would see the UK working alongside the Electoral Commission, the police service, the Judiciary and civil society, with the UK as a trusted partner but entirely neutral with regard to the outcome of the elections.

The High Commissioner said this during a reception he hosted with his wife at their residence in Accra recently, to mark the 90th birthday celebration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

He explained that, “The election project I have just mentioned is a partnership; it is technical, logistical and administrative and not party political,” he emphasised. 

Mr Benjamin said the partnership was designed as his country’s final electoral assistance programme to Ghana, in recognition of the fact that by 2020 Ghana would be a firmly established middle-income country  running its eighth consecutive democratic election. 

He stressed that this electoral project was just one example of the unique partnership and said he was proud that 11 different British government departments were working here in Ghana. 

He said Britain, through those departments, was partnering with Ghana to achieve great results, adding that it had recently signed a bilateral compulsory prisoner transfer agreement and was working closely together to counter the threat of global terrorism.

Multilateral development assistance

Over the past year, he said, the UK had provided over £100 million in bilateral and multilateral development assistance to Ghana, focusing on health, education, governance and economic development. 

Together, he said, the areas of assistance were making a difference in the lives of Ghanaians, particularly young Ghanaians, who were the key to the country’s future. 

The vibrant Ghanaian Diaspora community in the United Kingdom comprised several hundred thousands of people, many of them now third and fourth generation British citizens, he noted, and said it was best showcased by the Ghana-UK Based Awards (GUBA) which was now celebrating its sixth birthday. 

Mr Benjamin noted the work of the British Council in Ghana and announced that this year, it was running a series of events to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, which would include a comedy stage production highlighting the challenges that faced women in Ghana.

Mr Benjamin, reiterated Britain’s respect for the contribution that Ghana continued to make to peace support operations worldwide, including some of the most dangerous and demanding missions such as in Mali and South Sudan. 

He said there were so many other interpersonal links between the two countries, not forgetting the five Ghanaian footballers currently playing in the English Premier League and several other players of Ghanaian heritage.

Total trade

He said the total bilateral trade in goods and services between the UK and Ghana was £1.3 billion. 

The High Commissioner noted that Ghana was UK’s fifth largest export market in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr Benjamin pointed out that a vibrant British community here in Ghana continued to play a significant role in commercial relations between the two countries. 

Queen Elizabeth’s birthday

The High Commissioner said the Queensday was very special, since it was on that day in 1926 when the then Princess Elizabeth was born. 

He said celebrations took palce throughout the day all over the world to mark the 90 years of the Queen.

On her 21st birthday, in a radio broadcast from Cape Town, over four years before she would accede to the throne, the then Princess Elizabeth dedicated her life to the service of the Commonwealth, he recalled.

He quoted the Queen as saying, “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.”

It was one thing for a 21-year-old to utter those inspiring words. It was another to live by them for well over 60 years. For us as UK public servants, it was truly humbling to comprehend the scale of service that Her Majesty the Queen had given to the UK and the Commonwealth, he said. 

Mr Benjamin said Her Majesty had worked with 12 different British Prime Ministers, six Archbishops of Canterbury and with many heads of state throughout the Commonwealth. 

He said he was the Queen’s 18th High Commissioner in Ghana.

There have also been 12 US Presidents and seven Popes during Her reign, a reign which last year surpassed Queen Victoria’s, to become the longest in Britain’s long history. 

Her reign had seen huge change globally, politically, socially, and culturally, he noted, adding that through all of that, she had been steadfast, a rock of strength and a constant in their lives. 

“Above all, one thing shines through and that is Her Majesty’s strong sense of duty and devotion to her people. This dedication, that has been evident throughout her long reign, has earned her huge respect and admiration in her own country, and throughout the Commonwealth and wider world. We repay that respect today,” he stated.