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Busumuru Annan arrives back home to a
hero’s welcome
Accra, Jan. 24, GNA – Busumuru Kofi Annan, Ghana’s top
diplomat and Immediate-Past Secretary-General of the United
Nations (UN) arrived back home on Tuesday night to a hero’s
welcome.
Among the huge crowd of people from all walks of life who
thronged the Kotoka International Airport to welcome him and
his Swedish wife, Nane, were President John Agyekum Kufuor
and wife Theresa; Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama and wife
Ramatu; the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Ebenezer Sekyi-Huges,
Professor Daniel Adzei Bekoe, Chairman of the Council of
State; Ministers of State, members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Chiefs and religious leaders.
As the Alitalia flight carrying Busumuru Annan touched down
at exactly 2210 hours, the people went into frenzy, cheered
and waved miniature Ghanaian flags amidst traditional
drumming and dancing.
The Former UN Chief and the wife were presented with the
“Akwaaba” bouquet by Janet Afriyie Mensah and Susana Manu,
when they stepped down from the gangway.
He then exchanged pleasantries with President Kufuor and
Vice President Mahama after which the President escorted him
to do same with the welcoming party accompanied by Kete
drumming, an honour reserved for only chiefs.
With that over President Kufuor and Busumuru Annan went into
the VVIP lounge, in front of which, two giant portraits of
the retired UN Secretary-General had been placed on the
walls, for private discussions.
Later in brief remarks, Busumuru Annan thanked the entire
nation for the support and encouragement, without which, he
said he could not have done the job the way he did it.
“The journey had been long and I have completed a cycle.”
Born in Kumasi on April 8, 1938, Busumuru Annan joined the
UN in 1962, working with the World Health Organisation in
Geneva and also served with the Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees.
At the UN Headquarters in New York, he held senior positions
in diverse range of areas including human resource
management, budget and finance and peacekeeping.
Busumuru Annan was Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping
at a time when nearly 70,000 military and civilian personnel
were deployed in UN operations around the world.
He was elected the Secretary-General of the World Body in
1997 and completed his two five-year term on December 31,
2006.
GNA
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