I don’t deny Ghanaians visas – Botswana Consul

Honorary Consul of the Botswana Consulate in Ghana, His Excellency Thomas Okyere, has denied allegations that he deliberately frustrates Ghanaians seeking to travel to Botswana from doing so, with the way he tosses potential applicants.

“It’s a blatant falsehood that I deny potential Ghanaian travelers to Botswana visas. Then why am I here? I am here to ensure that as many as Ghanaians travel to Botswana and vice-versa so I don’t see why anyone would from the figment of his imagination think that I am here not serving my people.

Don’t forget I am a Ghanaian too, so I will be the last person to deny Ghanaians the opportunity to travel”, H.E Thomas Okyere told this paper in his office last Wednesday.

This paper had gone to his office as a follow-up to an earlier story we did and the Honorary Consul did not disappoint. He took this paper through the various stages and processes required for one to be able to secure a visa to the near-corruption-free southern African country.

According to the Consul, Ghana is a peaceful place to live and also to do business, and that it will be very appropriate if Ghanaians travelled to do business in Botswana whilst the people in Botswana also travel to Ghana to do same.

H.E. Okyere said that Ghanaians who wish to travel to Botswana should feel free to apply for visas, assuring that they would be granted visa once they are able to go through the formalities.

“I am not at the consulate to deny people visa at all and I am not there to be an obstacle to people`s entry into the Botswana. Any person willing to travel to Botswana should feel free to apply and go through the rightful visa acquisition procedure and once you are through and successful, nothing will stand in your way to securing a visa to enter the country”, H.E. Okyere said.

He averred that he was much convinced that if Ghanaians travelled to Botswana to build relationship with the people there, the mutual blend will cause Botswana investors to travel into Ghana to contribute to the economy, adding that this will contribute in increasing foreign direct investments.

“Botswana is a very nice place and I encourage Ghanaians to travel there to meet new opportunities, build relationships and also bring people from there to set up businesses in our country to help the growth of our economy”, he added.

Come November 23rd to 26th, Botswana would be holding the 11th Global Expo Botswana and, according to H.E Thomas Okyere, there would be a lot of Ghanaian participants who would exhibit their products there.

This event, according to information in its website, would showcase products from Agri business and Agricultural products, Textiles and garments, Manufactured products, Construction materials, Automobiles, Electrical goods and appliances, Timber and furniture, Engineering products, Chemicals and cosmetics, Machinery, Information technology, Consultancy services, Leather and Associated

technologies, Mining, Tourism, Power and renewable energy.