Ghana Headline International Public Service

President charges board of Boundary Commission to protect Ghana’s border interests

President Akufo-Addo charges the Boundary Commission board to protect the nation’s land and maritime boundaries

Wilberforce Asare October 14, 2020

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The president with members of the board of the Boundary Commission — President Akufo-Addo with members of the newly sworn-in Boundary Commission board

President Akufo-Addo has charged the newly constituted 13-member board of the Boundary Commission to do everything within the limits of the law to protect the nation’s land and maritime boundaries.

Addressing members of the board at Jubilee House in Accra today (13 October 2020) after administering the oaths of office and secrecy, President Akufo-Addo said the African continent in the 21st century is still experiencing interstate boundary disputes which have grave implications for the security of the countries involved.

In recent times, he said, Ghana has experienced a five-year maritime boundary dispute with her immediate western neighbour, Côte d’Ivoire. To avoid a recurrence of such problems, the president said, the board has a statutory duty to protect Ghana from all forms of land and maritime boundary disputes going forward.

“As the newly constituted board, and in accordance with Act 795, the Ghanaian people demand that you protect at all times their interest,” the president said.

Mandate of the Board

According to President Akufo-Addo, the Boundary Commission board, under the terms of Act 795, has a mandate “to determine and demarcate Ghana’s land boundaries, delimitation of Ghana’s maritime boundaries in accordance with accepted principles of international law”.

The act, the president further said, “enjoins the Commission to negotiate with a neighbouring country concerning a land or maritime boundary between Ghana and that country, undertake the physical demarcation and survey of land boundaries and the delimitation of maritime boundaries, and advise the government on international conventions in connection with the country’s borders and the signing and ratification of treaties relating to land and maritime boundaries”.

Chairman’s response

Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and chairman of the board, offering a response on behalf of colleague board members, noted that office accommodation and furniture, vehicles for field operations, administrative services, employment of the necessary staff to run the Commission, technical equipment for border demarcation, mapping and delimitation, as well as salaries for at least 50 employees, are urgently needed to make the work of the Commission successful.

“Mr President, we give our word that we will function as the law requires and your expectations will not come to zero,” Asomah-Cheremeh said.

Members of the board of the Boundary Commission take the oath of office at the swearing-in ceremony

Board members

The Boundary Commission has Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, as its chairman.

The other 12 members are Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration; Gloria Afua Akuffo, Attorney General and Minister of Justice; Dominic Nitiwul, Minister of Defence; Solomon Adjetey Sowah, representing the Ministry of Energy; Paulina Susuana Naa Darkua Addy, representing the Ministry of Food and Agriculture; Nathaniel Amonoo Wilson, for the Ministry of Transport; Sylvanus Kofi Adzornu, representing the Ministry of Local Government; Tangkpieo Benedict Dere, for the Ministry of National Security; Francis Tanlongo, representing the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service; Michael Enam Dordor, for the Ghana Institution of Surveyors; Professor J S Y Kuma, for the Ghana Institution of Geoscientists; and Dr Eric Yeboah, representing academic institutions.