Vice-President entreats Ghanaian diaspora to partner government - Reassures them of good governance

The Vice-President, Professor  Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has assured the Ghanaian community in Angola that the government will continue to work in their best interest and rewrite the narratives of the past. 

She stated that although the past was not all rosy, the current administration was intentional about moving the country forward in qualitative ways to positively affect the basic lives of Ghanaians home and abroad.

“We are moving the country in qualitative ways; ways that affect not only a few people.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC)-led government thinks of how to raise the people at the margins into the centre, and this government is about governance,” she said.

The Vice-President was speaking last Tuesday to the Ghanaian community in Angola, who joined her delegation at a dinner organised by the Ghana Embassy and Chancery in Luanda, after she had participated in the African Union–European Union (AU-EU) Summit.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang was joined by other members of her delegation, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; the Advisor to the Vice-President on Political Affairs, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, among others.

She emphasised that the government was making efforts to move from the exportation of raw materials to industrial processing in order to create more jobs for Ghanaians across the country.

“We are trying to find ways to process the raw materials, because that is where you get a lot of wealth; that is where the value rises.

If it's all about exporting raw materials, then we are not going to get a lot of benefits,” Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said.

The Vice-President pointed out that although the country’s cocoa production created some jobs, a lot more could be created along the cocoa value chain if processing of cocoa beans were done before they were exported.

She urged members of the Ghanaian community to support the government and bring forward their opinions as preparations were underway to work with Ghanaians in the diaspora as partners.

“We want to work with you. You are important. It means that your views are important to us. Let's hear your voice,” she entreated Ghanaians in the diaspora.

Commendation

Vice-President Opoku-Agyemang commended members of the Ghanaian community in Angola for being good ambassadors of Ghana in their host country.

She indicated that reports suggested that no Ghanaian had been found on the wrong side of the Angolan law, a good record which underscored the great reputation of Ghana. 

Commitment

The President of the Ghanaian community in Angola, Laud Baddoo, said they remained committed to supporting Ghana’s mission in Angola to promote the good reputation of Ghana.

He said the meeting with the Vice-President would encourage them even more to continue working together as one united community.

Mr Baddoo also appealed to the government to help them to secure their Ghana Cards in Angola.  

“A number of Ghanaians living here in Angola have expressed the need to want to have the Ghana card, but they face challenges, and we are hopeful that as we have same with the passport, we will be able to have our Ghana card also issued here in Angola,” he said.

He also called on the government to explore a government-to-government arrangement, where possible, with Angola, to ease travel and visa processes, which posed as another challenge when travelling to that country.

“This will encourage stronger economic ties and people-to-people cooperation between the two nations,” Mr Baddoo said.