President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is in Germany for a seven-day visit at the invitation of the German Chancellor, Ms Angela Merkel.

The Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr Eugene Arhin, who disclosed this in Accra last Friday, said the seven-day visit was aimed at deepening the bond of friendship between the two nations.

While in Germany, the President will deliver a speech at the 75th-anniversary celebration of the formation of North Rhine-Westphalia State, the leading industrial region of Germany, which is also the most populous.

President Akufo-Addo will also be the guest of honour of the North Rhine-Westphalia Academy of International Politics and also deliver a speech.

The director of communications disclosed this last Friday when he held his maiden press briefing for the Presidential Press Corps at the Jubilee House which centred on the activities of the President, particularly his schedule for the ensuing week.

Pfizer vaccine

Mr Arhin said President Akufo-Addo would also hold discussions with Pfizer, the American company founded by a German, which has developed a COVID-19 vaccine, over the establishment of a National Vaccine Institute for Ghana.

He would also make the case for the procurement of more vaccines for use in Ghana and “address the meeting of the German investment community before participating in the G-20 Compact initiative programme”.

The G-20 Compact initiative programme is a move by the German government to secure investment for Africa.

Answering questions about the seeming delay in the announcement of the names of metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs), Mr Arhin explained that the process, which commenced with regional committee vetting, shortlisted candidates to four persons per district and reports have been submitted to the national committee.

At the national level, a committee, chaired by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Dan Botwe, also vetted the four and submitted their report which was being studied by the President.

Mr Arhin expressed the belief that the final announcement would be done soon.

“As we all know he is the final determiner as per the constitution and we are currently on the final leg where the President is going through the report that had been submitted to him and shortly the announcement would be made,” he assured.

He explained that currently there was a vacuum at the various district assemblies because the old appointees were still in office and carrying out their duties but gave an assurance that the announcement would be made soon.