The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Secretary General, Mr.Kitack Lim has held a farewell luncheon in honour of Dr. Kofi Mbiah at the IMO headquarters in London.

The gesture was the first of its kind in the annals of the IMO, extended to an outgoing Chairman of any of its five Committees.

Addressing the luncheon, the Secretary General intoned that the holding of the luncheon in honour of Dr. Mbiah, who was stepping down as the Chairman of the Legal Committee after 6 years in that role, was meant to provide the occasion to extol the virtues of Dr. Mbiah and to present him with a memento with which he will forever remember fondly the IMO.

Mr. Lim noted that considering the important contribution made by Dr. Mbiah to the work of the IMO, coupled with his distinguished service, he thought it fit and proper that IMO recognizes his contribution in a special way.

Among dignitaries present at the luncheon were the Hon. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, Minister of Transport; Mr. Paul Asare Ansah, Director General Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Mr. Damptey Asare, Ag. Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK; Mrs. Azara Prempeh, Ghana’s Permanent Representative to the IMO and Mr. Fred Asiedu-Dartey, Acting Legal Advisor and Public Relations Manager of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority.

Other dignitaries present at the Luncheon were the Director Legal and External Relations Division of the IMO, Mr. Freddy Kenny; the Director of the International Oil Pollution and Compensation Funds (IOPC), Mr. Jose Mauria; the Chairman of the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the IMO, Mr. Arsenyo Dominguez; and the Chairman of the Facilitation Committee, Mr. Y Melanas.

The other dignitaries at the luncheon took turns to recount fond memories of their experiences with Dr. Mbiah and more especially celebrated the grace with which he conducted himself as Chairman of the Legal Committee.