Akwaaba, Vice-President Harris

We welcome the Vice-President of the United States of America (USA), Kamala Harris, into our midst.

We do not take for granted the fact that she chose Ghana as her first port of call in her week-long first-ever three-nation African tour since taking office.

Her decision to visit Ghana on her maiden trip to Africa buttresses the fact that Ghana and the USA have a very cordial relationship spanning many years.

Indeed, although Vice-President Kamala’s visit is the first by the first African-American and first Asian-American vice-president in the history of the US, it adds to the tall list of high-profile visits from the USA to Ghana since the country gained independence in 1957.

All the visits have further cemented the relationship between the USA and Ghana which started with a trip to the USA on July 23, 1958 by the then Prime Minister of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who also visited Washington, DC on March 8, 1961 as President and was met at the Washington International Airport by US President John F. Kennedy.

Since then, Ghanaian presidents, including Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills, John Mahama and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, have all received and had interactions with and/or visited US Presidents in Washington, DC.

The visit by Vice-President Harris and her spouse is, therefore, not surprising because of the decades of friendship between the peoples of Ghana and the USA, which has resulted in many partnerships and cooperation centred on security, governance, education, agriculture, health and many other areas.

Be that as it may, the visit by Ms Harris has come at an opportune time when Ghana finds itself in economic distress, while the security situation in the West African sub-region is not getting any better.

The economic challenge has resulted in hot debates in the past few months over a Domestic Debt Exchange Programme the government has introduced as a way of cushioning the country.

Ghana has also gone to the International Monetary Fund for a $3-billion deal, which for now appears illusive as talks get prolonged over one issue or another.

We have also commenced talks with the Chinese government for external debt forgiveness to enable us to secure the expected $3-billion cushion from the IMF.

All these and more are the reasons we believe the visit by the US Vice-President must go beyond mere rhetoric, as has been the case with some high-level engagements.

Ghana has also gone to the Paris Club to find succor for its economic crisis and the Daily Graphic finds it refreshing that already Vice-President Harris, in her first interaction since arriving here, has pledged that the US will intervene on Ghana’s behalf.

She also announced that the US would continue to push all bilateral creditors to provide meaningful debt reduction for countries that need it, which is heartwarming.

Speaking to the security issue in the sub-region, Ms Harris said the US would commit $100 million to combat terrorism in some coastal West African countries, which is also very welcome news.

Nonetheless, we reiterate the fact that all issues that will be discussed during her three-day visit, be they bilateral, on security or any form of cooperation, should be backed by steps to actualise decisions taken.

Ghana’s economy needs a push and this is the time to see who our friends truly are.

After all, as they say, a friend in need is a friend indeed.

At the end of the US Vice-President’s visit, we want to see that both countries have become the richer in view of concrete decisions that have been taken this week.

Once again we extend a hearty welcome to Vice-President Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, and wish them a pleasant stay in the country.