The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, yes­terday returned home to a tumultuous welcome at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) following her successful election as the new Secretary General of the Common­wealth.

It was a moment of great excitement and joy as the plane carrying her and her delegation touched down on the tarmac at about 11.45 am. • Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey interacting with some queenmothers on arrival The entire VVIP section of the airport erupted into a state of ecstasy when she stepped out of the plane carrying her ac­companied by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Among the large crowd who thronged the airport to welcome her were represen­tatives of the Ga Mantse, Nii Teiko Tsuru II made up of a retinue of divisional chiefs from Accra, Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, New Patriot­ic Party (NPP) supporters and family members.

Ms Botchwey contested along two other candidates, Senator Joshua Setipa of Lesotho and Dr Mamadou Tangara of The Gambia in an election held on the side-lines of the 27th Common­wealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2024) in Apia, Samoa.