Ghana?s new Ambassador to Mali, H.E. Major-General Clayton N.B. YAACHE, on Sunday, 7th May, 2006, participated in Bamako in the monthly meeting of ASCOGHAM, the Association of Ghanaians resident in Mali. He was accompanied to the well-attended meeting by Her Excellency Mrs Margaret YAACHE.

Addressing the Association, the Envoy expressed his gratitude to its Executive and entire membership for having sustained it as an identifiable organisation, open to all Ghanaians in Mali, irrespective of gender, sect, tribe and religion.

H.E. YAACHE urged his compatriots to be Law abiding and disciplined. He exhorted them, in the face of the ever-growing HIV/AIDS pandemic, to refrain from engaging themselves in life-threatening social vices and unbecoming behaviour.

The Ambassador pledged to continue to work hand-in-hand with ASCOGHAM through appropriate channels for the protection and promotion of Ghana?s national interest in the host country. In that connection, and in order for ASCOGHAM to remain an efficient machinery through which the Embassy could carry out its outreach programmes, He appealed to all Ghanaian nationals resident in Mali to register with both the Association and the Ghana Embassy.

Ambassador Yaache took the opportunity to explain the role and workings of the Ghana Embassy in Mali, and stressed in particular, the current focus of the Embassy on economic diplomacy. He noted in that context, that all Ghanaians were expected to contribute in that regard in making a success out of that national endeavour to attract investment to Ghana in order to accelerate the development of the Country. He concluded by appealing to ASCOGHAM to contribute generously towards the construction of the proposed Neuro-Science Hospital at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, as well as other laudable developmental projects that may be initiated in future.

Selected Executive Officers of ASCOGHAM, namely MM Alex AWUNI, Vice-President; Ekow Martel MATALEY, General Secretary; and Joseph NKRUMAH, National Organiser, spoke on behalf of the Association. They pledged that ASCOGHAM would cooperate with the administration of the new Ambassador.

H.E. Ambassador Major-General Yaache who until recently was Ghana?s Army Commander after 40 years of meritorious military service, presented his credentials to the Malian President, H.E. Mr. Amadou Toumani Toure on Friday, 31ST March, 2006.