“We stand shoulder to shoulder with the United States in the rejection of terrorism as a legitimate means of resolving political issues’” he said when he delivered the keynote address at the 2018 Winter Meeting of the National Governors Association (NGA), in Washington DC, United States of America on Sunday.

The NGA is the bipartisan organization of the nation’s governors. Through NGA, governors share best practices, speak with a collective voice on national policy and develop innovative solutions that improve state government and support the principles of federalism.

President Akufo-Addo who was appreciative of the role the US was playing in fight against terrorism, said Ghana would play its part to discourage violence in every form, to reduce its impact on economic growth of nations.

“We appreciate the courageous commitments and the lead role being played in the fight against terrorism by the United States in several parts of the world, including the Sahel region of West Africa.

"We stand shoulder to shoulder with the United States in attempting to develop our economies to provide opportunities for its citizens to fulfil their aspirations, especially the youth. We stand ready to renew and deepen our relations with the United States of America for the prosperity and progress of our two peoples,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo is the first African leader to address the NGA meeting.

He used the opportunity to call for increased investment and trade with African economies, insisting that this would serve as the impetus for re-shaping the continent and charting a new path of growth and development in freedom, which would lift the long suffering African masses out of poverty into the realms of prosperity and dignified existence.

He noted that the mindset of dependency “is unhealthy both for the giver and for the receiver,” stating “We do not want to be pawns or victims. It is time to build economies that are not dependent on aid or handouts".

Ken Sackey, GNA Special Correspondent, Washington DC