High Commissioner Praises Ghanaians in U.K.

In what amounted to a departing speech, Ghana's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, H.E. Isaac Osei has praised the Ghanaian Community especially those in London for been very supportive of the Mission's work in the last five years.

Speaking at one of the biggest community meetings, the fifth Annual Forum of Ghanaians in Tottenham, London, an annual event which he intitated on his resumption of office, Mr. Isaac Osei said, '' the Ghanaian community in the United Kingdom has been very supportive of the work of the Mission and our people have continually encouraged us. Some have also pointed out our mistakes and the foibles and this has spurred us to do better and I am very grateful to this community.''

Even though things are generally good for the community whose membership cut across- owners of businesses, doctors and nurses, civil servants , cab drivers, cleaners, garbage men and street sweepers, Mr. Osei, who tour of duty has ended as High Commissioner and is slated to assume post as Chief Executive Officer of a vital state organisation, Ghana Cocoboard, was not happy of consular problems and difficulties afflicting the community.

Within a period of three months-from December 2005- February 2006, he said, 52 Ghanaians have been arrested and deported. Even though the British authorities do not see it as targetting of Ghanaians, illegal residents should take the necessary steps to legalise their stay.

There has also, according to the Mission monitoring and evaluation work, an increasing number of Ghanaians who have had their monies confiscated by Customs at the airports because large sums of money in the region of 10,000 pounds could only be taken out of Britain with the necessary documentary evidence otherwise it could be assumed t! o be illegal and duly confiscated. The forum which had a general theme of ' Accelerating Development, Deepening Good Governance' had the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as guest speaker.