SPEECH BY ARC. FOSTER OSAE-AKONNOR, PRESIDENT, 2022 - 2024

Immediate Past President, Arc. S.M. Quartey, Council members, Distinguished guests from Ghana Institute of Engineers, Institutions of Surveyors and Planners a good afternoon to you all.
A fortnight ago we had a successful A.G.M. where we agreed to hold the Inauguration of our new council on a later date. Thank you all for honoring this invitation. On such momentous occasion, the great poem by Lord Tennyson, comes to mind. “The old order changeth, yielding place to the new. And God fulfills himself in many ways, lest one good custom should corrupt the world”. I thank the past council for the great work done.

Ayekoo. It is a joy to take over from a team which has run a good race. This afternoon, my message is centered on the theme of the race called Relay. The race has its origins from the Aboriginals. In a faraway land, centuries ago, a relay race was held between two groups, Kuku and Kaka. In the 1st lap, the rep from Kuku was by far in the lead when he handed over the baton to the next runner. He sat back folded his arms and said to everyone, he has done his best, now he is done, others must continue. He looked on as the next lap runner struggled and lost the lead he had secured. His comments and criticism on the touch line made even the next lap runners of his team so demoralized.

At the end of the full event, team Kuku lost woefully. The team Kaka story was different. After the 1st lap as their runner lost miserably, he chose to cheer on the next runner after handing over the baton. He run alongside him, and pointed out the pitfalls ahead so that his mistakes will not be repeated. He even went ahead to prepare the 3rd lap and find lap runners ahead of their turns.

Team Kaka was crowned winners eventually. Today, we stand at a crossroads in our institutes’ journey to Excellence. As my Council takes over the baton, we humbly request that past Council be our guide, not only immediate past Council but, all past leaders. We welcome your input to push our institute forward.

As we run this term, we will be mindful to be preparing the next generation who will be our institutes’ future, so that in the fullness of time, the Institute will be the winner!! Architects old and young, lets join hands and work together to create a better Ghana Institute of Architects.
In my address at the A.G.M., I listed a number of issues that my council will be addressing immediately;

- Completion of the ongoing Architecture House Renovations.
- Cordial and mutually respectful relationship between GIA and ARC and on
this note let me thank the Registrar Arc. Dr. Eyiah Botwe for his presence and also the Board Chairman Arc. Richard Daddey.
- BIC code
- Foreign firms practicing without proper license
- Repeal of the Architects Act
- Continuous Professional Development
- Increase in number of active members
- Collaborating with the schools of Architecture

Fellow Architects, as we Awake! Let’s see this journey as an opportunity to collaborate with one another for our mutual good. Council members, the baton has been handed over to us I am very confident in all of you that in unity will lie our strength and with God as our help, we shall succeed. On this note I say
congratulations to us all, Ayekoo!