President Barack Obama to visit Ghana

President Barack Obama

If the President does come to Africa it will be a deviation from the past US administrations who wait till the end of their term before visiting. The choice of Ghana is a message to the despotic regimes in Libya, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and the others that they stand to loose American friendship if they don't change their ways.

President Obama coming to Ghana is a victory for democracy and a reward for a nation that chose to change its leadership through free, fair and transparent elections. 

Ghanaians have decided to opt for democracy as a path to achieving economic development and prosperity and need to be supported. I will therefore like to inform President Obama that trade and investment is what Ghana need at this point not aid. President Obama should use his 'home coming' to urge leaders in the continent to embrace democracy and adhere to rule of law, freedoms and rights. 

He should also let them understand that decades of corruption, embezzlement, dictatorship, scant accountability, economic failures and incompetence leadership must give way to the opposite. They must do more to combat poverty instead of accumulating power to oppress the masses. 

President Barrack Obama of the United States of America will pay a state visit to Ghana from Friday, July 10 to Saturday July 11, 2009.

He will be accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Michelle Obama and other government officials. 

This was contained in a statement issued to the Ghana News Agency by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in Accra on Saturday.

During his visit, President Obama will hold bilateral talks with his Ghanaian counterpart, President John Evans Atta Mills, aimed at strengthening the fraternal relations existing between the two countries.

The US President and his delegation will also visit the Cape Coast Castle.

GNA