Public Agenda (Accra)
10 July 2009
editorial
Over the last sixteen years, two American Presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush made official visits to Ghana during which they made strong policy statements about US policy in Africa. In fact Ghana featured high in American foreign policy on Africa during the eras of Clinton and Bush. Once more Ghana is privileged to be the first country in Sub Sahara Africa to be visited by the first African-American President to be elected President of the United States of America.
This was a dream that seem impossible, though Edward Kennedy, the brother of President John F. Kennedy once predicted that at the turn of the century, a Black American could become the president of the United States of America.
This newspaper cannot find words to describe the singular achievement of President Barack Obama beyond what has been said by commentators across the world. But one thing must be said , and that is President Obama you have compelled the rest of the world to rethink their prejudiced notion that the Black person is good for nothing.
Mr. President we thank you for the positive image you have brought to Africa and the hope you have given millions of African youth who have taken you as their role model. Note that your success in the USA is our success in Africa and we are counting on you to keep our new found confidence and the erosion of negative perceptions about Africa on track.
While a lot of pressure will be on you to help Africa out of the woods, this newspaper does not think that within the four-year tenure you can solve all Africa's problems, especially when you inherited a weakened economy unprecedented in American economic development over the last century.
What we expect is that the United States under your presidency would crack the whip at any African dictator who wants to hang on to power by hook or crook. We are sure that the last thing you would like to see about Africa are those images of hunger , deprivation and war being beamed by western media.
This newspaper is glad that in the search for good news stories emanating from Africa, devoid of conflict, bloodshed, famine and disaster, you saw in Ghana some hope. In justifying the reason you chose to visit Ghana first over bigger and richer countries like Nigeria and South Africa, you explained that Ghana is fortunate to have reached a deeper level of democracy than many African nations, where polling day is marked by distrust and scepticism and followed by widespread violence over controversial results.
Your position that there is a direct correlation between good governance and prosperity and that countries that are governed well are stable, where leadership recognizes they are accountable to the people and institutions is the near universal truth which this newspaper shares. You are also right in recognizing the fact that the importance of our successful multi-party democracy reaches far beyond the 23 million Ghanaians within our borders. It has profound significance for other African nations whose nascent democracies might yet falter and fall.
You also stated strongly that by travelling to Ghana you hope to highlight the effective governance that we have in place. We thank you for choosing Ghana to send this message across to Africa.
However, we hope you will also build a bridge among our political parties and their leadership, especially the ruling National Democratic Congress and opposition New Patriotic Party. There is too much bad blood between these big political parties which have held power between them since 1992.
Unless these parties can jaw-jaw always and concentrate on building credible democratic institutions for future peaceful elections, the concerns you raised about the failure of political parties in your native Kenya to move into permanent reconciliation for the good of the country might soon erupt in Ghana. Please keep a close eye on Ghana if you want to continue to cite Ghana as good model in Africa. Once more welcome to Ghana, son of Africa.
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