Ghana's new president sworn into office

By Umaru Sanda Amadu

ACCRA, Ghana

The leader of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akuffo Addo, took the oath of office as Ghana’s new president Saturday, marking the beginning of his first four-year term after defeating ex-President John Mahama at the polls last December.

Following an inauguration ceremony at the Independence Square in the capital, Accra, Akuffo Addo promised economic transformation and ending corruption.

"I shall protect the public purse by insisting on value for money in all transactions," he said in reference to his election promise of fighting corruption.

The veteran politician, who also campaigned on tax cuts, said taxes would be reduced "to recover the momentum of our economy".

"We will rekindle the spirit that made Ghana the leading light of Africa," the new president said.

The 72-year-old lawyer becomes the fifth president since the West African state returned to constitutional rule in 1992.

About a dozen African leaders, including African Union chair and president of Chad, Idriss Deby, Nigerian President Muhammad Buhari, Ivory Coast President Alhassane Ouattara and Gabon’s President Ali Bongo were in attendance.

Saturday's ceremony was also attended by all three former presidents of Ghana, John Rawlings, John Kufuor, and Mahama as well as former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

All 275 members of parliament were also sworn into office for the next four years.

This is the third time Ghana has witnessed a violence-free change of government from one political party to another.