Kumasi, Jan 21, GNA - The Atta Mills Foundation, a pro-democracy non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Kumasi, on Wednesday congratulated President Barack Obama on his assumption of office as the 44th president of the United States. It expressed the hope that he would use his racial background as an advantage to unite the people of US and the world in general. This was contained in a congratulatory message signed by Togbui Mawufeame Fugah, Life Patron of the Foundation, and issued in Kumasi on Wednesday.

The message said being the first black person to ascend to the highest office in the US, it was important for President Obama to co-operate effectively with African leaders in the execution of their development agenda. This, the foundation said, was crucial in mitigating the socio-economic challenges hampering Africa's progress such as low level of technological advancement, ignorance, high rate of unemployment, poverty and hunger. 21 Jan 09