Ghana Ambassador to Italy meets COGNAI

Ghana’s Ambassador to Italy, Her Excellency (Mrs.) Anita Evelyn Stokes-Harford, has advised Ghanaians in Italy to take advantage of opportunities being offered by the Government of Ghana on its Agricultural Development Projects, in which substantial loans can be obtained, to go and invest in such avenues. She said such investments can pave the way for an eventual return for good.

She made the statement at a meeting with the Council of Ghana Nationals Associations in Italy (COGNAI) at Lecco, in the north of Italy. Her Excellency was accompanied to the meeting by Mr. Charles Baah (Minister and Head of Consular Section) and Mr. Abrokwa Aikins (First Secretary - responsible for Trade and Investment) at the Ghana Embassy in Rome.

The meeting arranged by COGNAI in collaboration with the local Association in Lecco was attended by representatives from 13 of the 24-member Associations in the Council. Associations present were from: Vicenza, Pordenone, Torino, Treviso, Verona, Brescia, Bergamo, Lecco, Como, Varese, Parma, Bologna and Rome.

In her initial remarks, Ambassador (Mrs) Stokes-Hayford commended the efforts of COGNAI and Lecco Association for organizing the meeting. She extended greetings from the President of Ghana, His Excellency Prof. John Attah Mills, to Ghanaians in Italy and promised to act as a mother to all. “My doors are opened anytime to every Ghanaian in Italy irrespective of political color, tribe, or religion,” she told the delegates.

The controversial issue on the cost of the Ghana passport (€200) in Italy was given some attention. She said: “As soon as I took office and noticed the issue on the price of the Passport I sent letters to the appropriate office in Accra and I am waiting for a reply.” She however mentioned the price on the Passport is an act of Parliament and hope they will be tasked to deal with the issue.

Mr. Charles Baah, who also addressed the delegates, announced the Ghana Embassy in Rome from the month of August this year will introduce what he called, ‘Consular Services at your door steps’, which the Minister Consular and his staff will pay regular visits to the Provinces to do Consular Services. This he said will include preparation of Passport Applications, Translations and Declarations. He pointed out payment will be by the applicant for these services and when completed the document will be forwarded to the respective applicant. The process he says will alleviate cost for the applicant travelling to Rome.

The Minister and Head of Consular Section at the Embassy also informed participants that passport being issued now will all expire in 2015 by which Ghana will phase out the current ones for digital passports - the price of this passport is expected to be the same as the current one.

The General Secretary of the Council, Gilbert Abasimi, also addressed members and spoke on the activities of COGNAI in the recent past. He gave a summary report on Ghana’s Independence Day celebration in Italy in March this year hosted in the city Verona pointing out the significant new event was a youth quiz program which brought out among others; questions in history, geography and culture of Ghana. He urged the various Associations to actively canvas and support such initiatives by organizing these events as prelims to the national one. He advised Ghanaians in Italy to maintain a constant teaching of Ghanaians culture to their children.

The General Secretary also reported on the EU-Tetra project currently going on. He said, it’s a project on the definition of a study program on-line for vulnerable immigrants from Third World Countries living in Europe explaining COGNAI is a partner together with ex-Ghanacoop, University of Bologna, Arcadia, the City Council of Modena and some NGOs in Spain, Greece and Portugal. He also talked about an on-going registration exercise of vulnerable or potentially vulnerable Ghanaians living in Italy, especially those being severely affected by the economic crises, and urged members to complete Forms already sent to the local Associations and return it to the Secretariat of COGNAI for the project to take off.

Also included in his report are correspondences currently being carried out by the Secretariat with Brussels - EU Headquarters - in which COGNAI has been invited for several seminars and course programs.

The delegates chose the city Novara as the venue to celebration the next Ghana’s Independence Day in Italy.

The Ghana Ambassador and his team earlier before the meeting met with the Mayor of Lecco and his Councilors, Representatives of the Province and the Executives from the Associations of Lecco, Como and Varese. Discussions were on matters affecting Ghanaians communities in the Region and investments by Industrialists in the Region to Ghana.

- Reggie Tagoe in Lecco, Italy.