We'll appoint Stevie Wonder an ambassador to attract others to Ghana - Awal Mohammed

Awal Mohammed, the president's nominee for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, has told the Appointments Committee of Parliament that he will take advantage of the decision by global music legend, Stevie Wonder, to permanently relocate to Ghana to woo more big names to move to the country.

He said that the news of “Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" singer to make Ghana his home is a welcome one and they would capitalize on that to encourage more of his kind to consider Ghana as their new home and as an investment hub.

Many American celebrities have in recent years been retracing their ancestries to Africa, and this is one of the things that, for instance, influenced the Ghana government’s initiative for a Year of Return in 2019, which was immediately followed by the Beyond the Return agenda in 2020.

But, in responding to a question posed to him by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on the long-term plan for such people, including granting them permanent citizenship, the former Minister for Business Development said that it will be their intention to make him an ambassador for a targeted agenda of attracting more people to Ghana.

“The Homeland Return Act is another important initiative and under this initiative, we are encouraging Africans all over the diaspora – because this is their home; Ghana is the home of Africans in the diaspora, we are encouraging them and their children to come and stay here permanently and make it their home.

“We want to engage Stevie Wonder to become an ambassador for us, to talk to such more people with expertise, with skills, with competence and then money. The most important thing is for them to bring their money to invest in Ghana and create jobs for our people,” he explained.

Awal Mohammed is facing the Committee to answer questions concerning his new portfolio as Minister-designate for the Tourism, Arts and Culture ministry.