<<Print>>

It is becoming increasingly clear that one of the challenges facing Ghanaians, especially the media in discharging their duties, is the language barrier since it is not enough to have a command over the Queen's language, as French and Spanish are equally important.

The relevance of the French language in international discourse was brought to the fore when the President of Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, paid a state visit to Ghana.

Ghanaian journalists faced an uphill task on Tuesday September 18, 2018 regarding the translation of the speech delivered by the Burkinabe President.

The Burkinabe leader spoke French to the teeming journalists and to the amazement of the media at the Jubilee House, there was no translation feed from President Kabore's address.

Of the fifteen West African countries, eight are French speaking, five are English speaking and two are Portuguese speaking.

Ghana, which is English speaking, is geographically surrounded by three French speaking countries of Togo, Burkina Faso and Cote D’Ivoire.

For Ghana to be able to relate very well with them, it is believed that she should do well to acquire French language communication skills.

President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo therefore realizing the confusion on the faces of the pressmen charged them to see French as an important language to learn as part of their core duties as journalists.

“.... and the Ghanaian press as it is here, you have a really important reason why you have to speak French. And today you have the first class reason because there is no translator and there will be no translation; that is the end of the press conference,” President Akufo-Addo told the media.

Earlier in his welcome address, Ghana's President hinted that the issue of Bagre Dam spillage has been discussed to find lasting solution to it in order to forestall the perennial devastation of Ghanaian farms.

“ . . we are beginning to work our way to finding concrete solid solutions to the dam spillage. It has been an annual problem that we should have dealt with it sometime ago but there is always a time for dealing with matters . . .," he said.

President Akufo-Addo reiterated that the visit of President Kabore brings to the fore the need for the former to step up and organise the Joint Commission for Corporation as it is the turn of Ghana to host it in Accra before the end of the year.

Ghana is responsible for convening a meeting of the Volta Basin Authority which is about 6 member countries in the sub-region.

“ . . we have agreed upon quarterly meetings in the year between the two sects of ministers of our countries that are dealing with the day-today concrete issues we have to address,” President Akufo-Addo stressed.