The president, Nana Akufo-Addo left has the shores of Ghana on Tuesday, March 16 for Cote d’Ivoire to attend the funeral service of the late Prime Minister of Cote d’Ivoire, Hamed Bakayoko.

The funeral will be held on Wednesday, March 17 in Abidjan, the capital of Cote d’Ivoire. President Akufo-Addo is attending the funeral in his capacity as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority.

An eight-day period of national mourning for the late Hamed Bakayoko was announced by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara last Thursday, with the burial scheduled for Friday, March 19.

Akufo-Addo was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, MP, and officials of the Presidency and the Foreign Ministry.

Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, in President Akufo-Addo’s absence shall, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the Constitution, act in his stead.

Hamed Bakayoko, died in a hospital in Germany just days after his 56th birthday.

He was appointed prime minister in July, 2020 following the sudden death of his predecessor Amadou Gon Coulibaly.