Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, has assured President John Dramani Mahama of an utmost diligent performance from he and his colleague Ministers.

Speaking on behalf of his colleague Ministers during the swearing-in ceremony, Mr Ablakwa said they would serve the President and the nation with utmost diligence.

He rendered his heartfelt appreciation to President Mahama for the confidence reposed in them.

“We wish to assure His Excellency the President and the people of Ghana that we do not take this confidence for granted and we do not take lightly the responsibility that has been put in our hands,” Mr Ablakwa stated during their swearing-in by President Mahama at the seat of Government in Accra.

“We make a solemn pledge that we shall serve the people of this country as His Excellency the President of the Republic has charged us in utmost diligence, integrity, hard work, discipline, and with great respect for the chiefs and people of our country.”

He said they were aware that President Mahama had very high standards; adding that over the last few weeks since his induction, Ghanaians had seen how he had toiled and continued to serve the people of this country with diligence, with hard work, with love for the country, with deep respect for the chiefs and people of the country.

“If your boss epitomizes these principles and examples, you have absolutely no excuse to serve the people differently,” he stated.

“We also wish to assure His Excellency the President, the Vice President, senior government officials that we shall attend upon our duties with the highest sense of integrity, with modesty as President Mahama exemplifies.

“As the President has charged us, we shall at all times make sure that in our service to the country, we protect the public purse, that we are mindful that the assets we are going to preside over do not belong to us, but they belong to the people of Ghana.”

He said at no point would they seek to annex those assets to become their personal properties.

He said the Ministers would always make sure that those assets were rather developed; saying “We shall add value to those assets for the benefit of all Ghanaians, as President Mahama has charged us.”

Mr Ablakwa assured the President that the content of the ruling National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) manifesto and the context of the code of conduct that the President had spoken to, would be their guiding principles.

“We will not let the chiefs and people of Ghana down. We know expectations are high, we are conscious of that, and this emphatic victory that President Mahama received, the lesson there is that if you fail to meet the people’s expectations, you will be punished at the post.”

Mr Ablakwa said they were committed to ensure that the NDC continue to be the favourite party of the people.

He said they would continue to serve and meet the high expectations of the people and create prosperity, wealth and opportunities for all Ghanaians.

He said they would serve everybody, not only members of their party or members of their family.

He said they would render diligent service to all Ghanaians, irrespective of where they come from, their background, or their political ideologies.

Mr Ablakwa said they were ready to serve; and that they were ready to reset the country.

“Your Excellency, we shall not let you down,” he declared.