ECOWAS, AU Condemn Malicious Usage of Logos -Amidst Insinuation that Pres. Addo complained against Boakai

MONROVIA: Amidst the insinuation making the rounds that the President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo had complained about President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s unofficial visit to Ghana, the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) and the African Union(AU )have “expressed concern over the use of the logos of the two international bodies to spread misleading information.

In a press statement issued by the Office of the Resident Representative of ECOWAS yesterday, Monday, February 19, 2024 on behalf of the institutions, it said “In the said publication it is alleged that ECOWAS issued a warning to President Boakai of the Republic of Liberia regarding a visit made overnight in Ghana.  This is factually baseless and unfounded”.

“The ECOWAS Resident Representative Office on behalf of the ECOWAS Commission categorically denies and dissociates itself from the misleading, fake and unfounded statements made in the said release.  The said publication is fake and should be disregarded by the general public.

“ECOWAS further calls on Liberians, international community, the Government as well as the general public not to lend credence to misleading information.

“ECOWAS reiterates its commitment to working to deepen fraternal ties and integration amongst its member states”, the statement concluded.

It can be recalled that there were controversies surrounding the status of the visit of President Boakai to Ghana last week where from various perspectives information about the trip was sketchy. On one side of the divide, there were stories that the President was on an official visitation and on the other hand, it was stated that his visit was not official but a private one that his handlers were trying to confuse the people.

The controversies did not end within the Liberian domain as the Ghanaian authority through its Embassy in Liberia issued a statement that the information making the rounds that Boakai was snubbed was not true.

“The Embassy of the Republic of Ghana near Monrovia wishes to urge the general public in the Republic of Liberia to disregard a piece of fake news ostensibly made to the ECOWAS Parliament by His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana,” the Embassy stated in a statement.

It added: “The Mission categorically states that the President at no time in point made the statement in question to the ECOWAS Parliament. The Mission takes the opportunity to reaffirm that Ghana cherishes its close relations with the Republic of Liberia, and Liberians will always be welcomed in Liberia.”

The Embassy’s release further noted that Ghana stands ready to cooperate with the Republic of Liberia in the “mutual development of our two nations”.