Ghana’s Ambassador to Denmark interacts with members of NPP-Denmark

Ghana’s Ambassador to Denmark and the Nordic countries, Amerley Ollennu Awua-Asamoa has visited and interacted with members of Denmark’s branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP-Denmark) at their monthly meeting held on Saturday, 5th May 2018. The purpose of the Ambassador’s visit was to formally congratulate the branch and its new leadership following the recent elections and swearing in of its new executive members.

In his welcoming address, the chairman of NPP-Denmark, Kennedy Adjei, thanked the Ambassador for her decision to visit and interact with them. Chairman Adjei gave a brief history of NPP-Denmark, recounting its formation and the challenges they have had to overcome to get the branch well established as it is now.

He was full of praise for the immediate past chairman, Lawrence Ashong, who led the branch through the turbulent times helping lay all the structures for its proper functioning.

According to the chairman, “Mr. Ashong’s maturity and calm demeanour were very key to the branch’s survival. Under his tenure, we supported the mother party in both 2012 and 2016 elections. In fact, our support helped win two parliamentary seats from the NDC in 2016”.

He, however, added that “in spite of the success achieved under his predecessor, much more work needs to be done to make NPP-Denmark a truly vibrant and influential branch”.

The chairman then explained in detail the various strategic plans the new executive team is pursuing in order to take NPP-Denmark to the next level.

He introduced members of the newly formed research team of the branch chaired by Dr. Andrew Nkansah with Vice Chairman Ahmed Antwi-Boampong, Secretary Paul Kyei, Dep. Communications Director Samuel Agbesi and the Chairman himself as members.

The chairman assured that the research team is already working and that their works will be made available for all to see in due course.

Ambassador Awua-Asamoa congratulated the newly elected executive team and thanked NPP-Denmark for their support for the mother party in the last two elections. She endorsed the strategic plans as outlined by the chairman and declared her full support for the activities of NPP-Denmark.

She was particularly pleased, as a gender activist herself, by the newly formed women’s wing led by the women organizer, Ruth Neumann, and promised to be present during its official launch later this year.

She made a passionate appeal to members to take few minutes of their time to register at the Embassy’s homepage and also inform their families and friends to register as well to help the Embassy collect data on all Ghanaian immigrants.

The Ambassador stressed that it was important for all Ghanaian immigrants in Denmark and the other Nordic countries to register to enable the mission gather all the necessary data to ensure proper planning by the government to serve the interest of Ghanaians living in the Nordic countries.

An open forum followed the Ambassador’s speech, which was moderated by Vice Chairman, Ahmed Antwi-Boampong.

This was a lively section as members asked questions and raised concerns mainly on consular services and major government policies that are affecting them.

On consular services, members expressed their satisfaction with the positive changes that are already taking place at the mission. For instance, processing of passport and visa applications now takes three weeks or earlier instead of one the month it used to be. In fact, the mission is working to reduce the processing time to one week according to an embassy official who accompanied the Ambassador.

Visa/passport applicants are also kept informed through e-mails and text messages on the status of their applications. Last but not the least is the greatly improved general conducts of the embassy staff.

However, members bemoaned the cumbersome visa application processes and called for a review.

For example, one has to produce four passport size pictures and fill out four application forms every time one applies for a visa, and one must produce an affidavit from Ghana in the event one loses his/her passport and has to apply for a new one even if one can document his/her legal status here in Denmark.

However, the Ambassador assured members that the mission is working to simplify the application processes and announced that effective from 1st May 2018 only one passport size picture and one application form are required for each visa application.

On the requirement for affidavit, she said she understands the difficulty but that is what the law requires now and promised to take it up. Members expressed grave concern about the sharp increases in the duties at the ports and appealed to the government through the Ambassador to have a relook at it as it is seriously undermining businesses of many Ghanaians abroad.

The Ambassador promised to take the matter up as she has already heard many complaints about the issue. A member also wanted to know if those who have acquired foreign citizenship will be eligible to vote under ROPAA to which the Ambassador answered in the affirmative but added that such people must first apply for dual nationality at the Embassy.

The Ambassador thanked members for their questions and concerns and assured them that they are all taken in good faith. She promised to continue to work to improve consular services and thus make life easier for Ghanaians living in her jurisdiction - the Nordic countries.

She also reiterated her full support for NPP-Denmark.

In his closing remarks, Chairman Kennedy Adjei thanked the Ambassador and members present for the important questions and concerns raised as well as the satisfactory answers given.

He expressed the hope for more of such interactions in the future and continuous cooperation between the Embassy and NPP-Denmark for the good of the motherland.