The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on Friday called on African Americans to assist in the socio-economic development of Africa. He said they should translate discussions, proposals and agreements between them and African countries into reality. The Asantehene was speaking at a durbar to welcome a delegation of 120 American Mayors and Business Executives at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi in central Ghana. The delegation, led by Mr Walter Moore, Mayor of Pontiac City in Michigan, was on a day's visit to Kumasi after attending this year's World Conference of Mayors WCM), in Nigeria.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said partnership between African Americans and Africans is urgently required to revamp key sectors of the economy such as education, health and agriculture. He urged them to impart their skills and knowledge, to Africans to increase production and to ensure industrialisation.
Mr Samuel Nuamah-Donkor, Ashanti Regional Minister and Acting Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, who led the delegation to Manhyia palace, said the delegation’s presence in the country is "a home-coming, which would bond them to Ghanaians".
He explained that the visit was part of an exchange programme between the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), and sister cities in the United States for the promotion of economic, political, social, cultural and business relations.
Nuamah-Donkor said there are plans to link KMA to the Internet, establish a sister-city office to rekindle relations and to reconstitute the Kumasi-Sister City Committee to boost its activities.
Moore said negotiations and agreements between African Americans and Africans should be promoted in all fields of human endeavour. The delegation pledged to present 50 computers to the KMA next year to establish a Laboratory in Kumasi.
The KMA has since 1994 established links with some cities in USA including Newark in New Jersey, Charlotte in North Carolina, Pontiac in Michigan and Almere in the Netherlands
