Ghanaians in Georgia celebrate Ghana@60

The Ghana Council of Georgia collaborated with Georgia State Representative, Able Mable Thomas of District 56, to celebrate the sixty anniversary of Ghana Independence.

Ghana@60 was recognized as part of Representative Thomas' Global Initiative on the floor of the Georgia House of Representatives during the March 6th session.

Dr. Paa kwesi Nduom, founder and presidential candidate of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) is the Ghana Council of Georgia's special guest of honor this year.

Dr. Nduom is a former member of parliament and served as a minister of state during the Kufour administration.

His resume includes success as an entrepreneur with holdings in banking and finance.

In addition, the group was joined by Dr. Thomas Mensah, celebrated Ghanaian inventor and Mr. Jack Ellis, former Mayor of Macon, Georgia. The morning started with drumming and dancing in honor of the day.

The commemoration continued as attendees gathered inside the Capitol where they were welcomed by a succession of State legislators.

The outgoing president of the Ghana Council of Georgia, Mr. Kwaku Appiah gave the opening address and underscored the importance of Ghana’s independence, which subsequently opened doors for the independence of other African countries.

Mr. Appiah praised Ghana’s sustainable democracy and successful transfer of political power between different political parties in seven successive elections peacefully. A fete that has won Ghana the title, “the beacon of hope and democracy in Africa.”

Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom was the keynote speaker for the day. He explained the successes and challenges of Ghana’s budding democracy.

He also enlightened those assembled by giving a recap of Ghana's recent elections. Dr. Nduom is an advocate of Ghana’s push for compulsory free primary and secondary education which was stipulated in the 1992 constitution.

According to Dr. Nduom, the goal of compulsory education was not completed by previous administrations.

Dr. Nduom spent most of his adult life in the United States and completed his undergraduate, graduate and doctorate degrees at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He appealed to Ghanaians in the diaspora to take interest in Ghana’s economic and political affairs, and not underestimate their influence. The group was ushered into the state senate chambers where Georgia State Senator Donzella James, District 35 took the floor and proclaimed Ghana Day in the State of Georgia, with a brief synopsis on the significance of Ghana’s independence.

The group then proceeded to the chambers of the Georgia House of Representatives where Representative Able Mable Thomas gave an additional Ghana Day proclamation.

Chief Bin of the Northern Association represented the Georgia Traditional Rulers and executive members of the Ghana Council of Georgia were a part of the Ghana Council delegation.

The Ghana Day official proclamation was presented to Dr. Ndoum as a memento to take back to Ghana with him. Because of the historic nature of the event, the House Representatives photographed the group.

The photograph will be stored in the archives of these state legislators. At the day's end, the Georgia Congressional Black Caucus invited the Ghana Council delegation to attend their general meeting at the Legislative Office Building.

Mr. Kwaku Appiah expressed the need for greater cooperation between Ghana and Georgia and urged the lawmakers to establish an economic office in Ghana.

Mr. Appiah invited all of the Caucus members to visit Ghana soon. The lawmakers adopted a resolution to create a committee that will look into visiting Ghana soon with the hope that the visit will be reciprocated by an invitation of Ghanaian leaders to visit and partner with Georgia.

The focus will be on the port of Savannah, which has historical transnational importance as a receiver of enslaved West Africans during the late eighteenth century.

The aim of both the legislators and the Ghana Council is to foster bilateral and close relationships between the citizens of the country of Ghana and Georgia.