On his return journey from the Franco-African Summit in Paris, President Kufuor made a brief stop over in London where he met a cross section of Ghanaians at a major "Peoples Assembly". The following report was sent in by ADM Managing Editor, A. Harruna Attah, who was present at the meeting.
President John Agyekum Kufuor is an enigma. His gentle predisposition belies a steely nature that does not fear taking risks.
And it was a big risk he took when he decided at short notice to attend a forum of Ghanaian residents in the UK to interact with them in the manner of the "Peoples Assembly" his government has been holding these past two years at which citizens probe and prod his administration on the administration's performance.
Ghana's High Commissioner to the Court of Saint James, Mr. Isaac Osei had organized the forum as part of his normal "surgery" with his Ghanaian constituents, but decided to exploit the President's 24-hour stop over to bring his boss face to face with the people.
By word of mouth, the news was passed round in the Ghanaian community that the president would be present at the Broadwater Farm Community Centre to meet his compatriots. The High Commissioner later explained that he took that decision because if he had caused for a formal announcement to be made on the Ghanaian FM stations in London, there would have been a stampede. He was right, because the 1,500-seater hall was filled to capacity and people had to stand by the time the president arrived around 9.00 p.m.
His entrance was heralded by talking drums, to be drowned out by deafening cheers. It could have been back home in Ghana.
When calm was restored, the Ghana Chaplaincy Choir led the congregation in a touching rendition of the national anthem, after which prayers were said first by Rev. Francis Amenu to be followed by Chief Imam Alhaji Jumba and finally, Nana Adarkwa with the traditional rites of libation pouring.
After brief welcoming remarks by the High Commissioner, the president was invited to the podium to give what was in effect a mini state-of-the-nation address. In an hour long presentation, he took his compatriots through what his government had been doing in the past two years regarding HIPC, his initiatives (PSI), good governance, the economy, crime, law and order, infrastructure development, education, health, food security, foreign policy and other minutiae.
He announced to all Ghanaians in the Diaspora his gratitude about their remittances back home which he said the Bank of Ghana's figures show has topped the one billion dollar mark. He said it was a very impressive performance, but even with that, he was still asking for more. He praised the industry of Ghanaians living abroad and asked them to use some of their resources to invest back home. He told them that the dual-citizenship right they are enjoying would be strengthened when the citizens ID card was introduced so that they can also start voting in general elections.
The ovation he had after his performance was an honest one, but even that did not stop the avalanche of questions that was to come gushing from his audience.
A long queue of questioners had developed even before the president could catch his breath.
The unscripted contributions took the form of questions, suggestions, queries, admonitions, advice or requests for clarification.
It was clear from these interactions that Ghanaians abroad are quite abreast with and interested in happenings back home.
One of the first questioners wanted to know why the Speaker of Parliament would want to drive in a US$60,000 luxury car at a time when Ghanaians were tightening their belts.
The president used the separation of powers argument as a defence where parliament was independent of the executive, meaning it was from parliament's own appropriation budget.
Cameron Duodo, one of Ghana's leading journalists later told ADM that he did not agree with the reason given by the president because "the Speaker is from the president's party, and therefore his actions should be of concern to the executive".
On the recent 90% increase in the price of petroleum products, a contributor said it was too high but it should have been around 15% so that the balance would be funded by a five pound sterling levy on Ghanaians abroad!
Another contributor wanted the president's intervention to discourage chiefs from corruption in the selling of land.
A gentleman who brought a lot of comic relief to the otherwise serious proceedings said he had a number of right-hand-drive cars which he would like to ship home to help alleviate the transport difficulties but was afraid to do so because they would be confiscated! What he did not know was that the Minister of Transport has now been granted powers to use his discretion to allow in right-hand-drive vehicles. Many other questioners had their personal concerns, ranging from Ghanaian nurses abroad to sports.
Even Nigerian-born football star, John Fashanu, was in the audience and put a question to the president as to why professional players were not put in charge of football administration in Ghana. The president replied that the current GFA chairman was himself a footballer in the '50s and '60s who captained the Black Stars. Abedi Pele, another well-known footballer is currently a Vice Chairman of GFA.
It was a non-partisan affair. The CPP was represented by the UK branch chairman and secretary, both of whom put questions to the president.
Known NDC sympathizers were also there and asked questions. The UK branch secretary of CPP, Nii Akomfrah told ADM that it was a praiseworthy and unprecedented gesture for a sitting president to offer himself for grilling the way President Kufuor did to them.
There was a carnival air around as Ghanaians mingled freely with one another with one common purpose: the destiny of home otherwise known as Ghana.
The evening ended with a patriotic rendition of "Yen ara asase ni" with Kufuor's influence as a unifying factor in Ghana's contemporary politics totally enhanced.
As Kufuor was rallying his compatriots to the cause of the nation, ex-Flt. Lt. Rawlings was stalking a number of European capitals, including London, where according to reports he had been holed up in a hotel for weeks close to where President Kufuor was staying, but that's the subject for another story...
