There is hope for Ghana - UK Envoy

H.E. Mr. Isaac Osei, Ghana?s Envoy to the UK has said in London that ?prevailing trends in Ghana today indicate that there is a bright future for the country and Ghanaians.?

He said the ?new Ghana of today now has a vision; a vision of a united, secure and prosperous country, built on the principles of good governance.?

Speaking at the Ghana Family Service of Thanksgiving organised by Rev. G. N. Odonkor, Ghanaian Minister in London to mark the 48th Anniversary of the country?s Independence, Mr. Osei said the new Ghana was witnessing the greatest freedoms in its history.

?Today in the new Ghana, people can demonstrate against the government without being molested and arrested as happened in the past. The fact that this is happening is because of the freedom the nation now enjoys,? he said.

Mr. Osei said ?Ghanaians under the new Ghana have now accepted democracy as the best form of government which ensures the development of their potentials and the orderly growth of the society.?

He pointed out that the new Ghana has already seen the restoration of macro-economic fundamentals and the creation of an enabling environment for Ghanaian businesses to flourish and create wealth for all.

Mr. Osei spoke of the increase in cocoa production which stands in excess of 700,000 metric tons for last year, the re-building of gross official reserves equivalent to four months, the international sovereign rating by Standard and Poors which puts Ghana at par with Brazil and higher than Turkey and Indonesia and an upward movement of the country?s current sovereign rating from B to B+ by Fitch.

The High Commissioner Osei urged Ghanaians to continue to pray for the nation?s forebears through whose efforts the country attained independence. He stressed that even though Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was the principal leader of the independence movement, there were others such as the other five of the Big Six, the soldiers who were shot dead at Christianborg crossroads in 1948 and Nii Kwabena Bonney (Boycott hene).

Stressing that Ghana was more important than any single individual, Mr. Osei therefore called on Ghanaians to pray for people who are not in leadership positions to accept the reality in good faith.

To our present generation of leaders, he also urged Ghanaians to pray for them so that they would continue to carry the nation forward.

On the forthcoming elections in the UK, High Commissioner Osei urged all eligible Ghanaians to exercise their franchise as responsible Commonwealth citizens.

He also appealed to Ghanaians to get involved in the activities of affairs of their communities in the UK by making their views and influence felt in City Halls and Boroughs.

The service which was officiated by Rev. E.A. Reynolds of the Trinity Presbyterian Church, was attended by over one thousand Ghanaians from all walks of life as well as friends of Ghana .

In attendance were singing bands men?s and women?s singing groups and choirs from the Trinity, Ghanamma, Ebenezer, E.P. Presbyterian Churches and Ghana Methodist Church which provided beautiful music for the occasion reminiscent of church services in Ghana.

Prayers were said for the nation, Britain, the Commonwealth and the world by Rev. G. Ansah, Rev E. Aggrey Ogoe, Chaplain of the Methodist Church in UK and Rev G.N. Odonkor, a Ghanaian Minister in London.

In his sermon, Rev. Edward Sanniez, a Minister of the Harlesden United Reform Church said Ghanaians should continue to be proud of the land of their birth.

?Ghana needs a new type of man, woman or person who would help to reverse the country?s circumstances. We need to wake up and take responsibility for our country and shun the pull him down syndrome?, he said.

Rev Sanniez said Ghanaians should not only go to church but should learn to live as true Christians ?if we are to create a good image for the country and lay a solid foundation for future generations.?