President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has sworn into office the Board of the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Corporation (GIADC) with a call on the body to ensure Ghana harnesses the gains of the aluminium industry timeously.

The eleven-member board, chaired by Dr. Tony Oteng Gyasi, and industrialist, includes Mr. Addae Antwi-Bosiako, a representative of the Minerals Commission; Mr. Humphrey Ayim Darke, representing the Association of Ghana Industries; Mr. Michael Ansah, Chief Executive Officer of the GIADC; and Dr. Henry Benyah.

The others are Dr Benjamin Ofosu Addo, a representative of the Integrated Aluminium Industry; Patrick Bogyako-Siaime, Member of Parliament for Amenfi East; Nana Dokuaa, the Okyehemaa; Benito Owusu Bio, representative of Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources; Mrs. Abena Osei Asare, a representative of the Ministry of Finance, and Nana Amampene Boateng Twum Il, Chief of Nyinahini.

At a brief ceremony at the Jubilee House, President Akufo-Addo noted that Ghana had since its journey to create an aluminium industry in 1948 not been able to operate fully the entire value chain of the industry and had only mined and exported some of the bauxite in its raw form.

However, since the formation of the GIADC on his assumption of office, the leadership of the corporation had been working tirelessly with transaction advisors and other stakeholders to ensure the objective of achieving an integrated aluminium industry is executed in a timely manner.

The President noted that as the metal of the future, bauxite, the mainstay of the Aluminium industry, was replete in Ghana and it was time the country made a concerted effort, not only to bring the raw materials into play, but to establish the full value chain of the product so that nation could have a vibrant aluminium industry.

He explained that Ghana’s obligation under the two-billion-dollar Ghana-Sinohydro barter deal required that Ghana supplied China with aluminium as payment for the two billion worth of infrastructural projects it would undertake in the country.

President Akufo-Addo was emphatic that Ghana "cannot in the modern era, stumble twice on our journey of giving value to our significant natural resources or bauxite, and thereby, accelerating our industrial development and transformation."

He was confident that the considerable abilities of the members of the GIADC board would help realise the objectives of the corporation.

"Much of the future success of our nation is bound up with your work, he told the board, adding that though the task ahead was a challenging one, he was hopeful that they would be up to it.

Dr Oteng Gyasi thanked the President for the opportunity given the Board to serve the country and for the confidence reposed in the members.

"We know your dream, we know your vision, and we know what intentions you have for the industrialisation of our country," he said, assuring that they would do their utmost best to realize the mandate given them in a timely manner to maximize the benefits that the nation stood to gain from Ghana's rich bauxite deposits.