I have often overlooked the word ‘crisis’, till some 2 years ago, it showed its devastating effects on the entire world and with that Ghanaians in Italy were not spared. Businesses tumbled; incomes were to a very large extent affected and their activities which over the past years have been promoting the image of Ghana abroad also suffered.
Looking back on what happened in 2009, my memory is still fresh on the collapse of Ghanacoop, a well established business entity raised by a group of Ghanaians in the northern Italian city Modena which was into trade – importing Ghana’s tropical crops and fruits to Italy whilst exporting Italian wine, pasta, among others, to Ghana. This was a business that was booming, generating a gross income of over €5 million a year till ‘crisis’ reared its ugly head sending the whole lot crumbling. It’s just one of the sad memories of the year 2009 about Ghanaians in Italy and it was expected 2010 will provide a situation to forget the past. Comparatively, there was not much change as the now most destructive one, ‘crisis’ continues to unleash its havoc. Perhaps, we can take solace of the good things we are expecting a new year to bring, hoping 2011 will provide the situations that can make amends of the damages. And whilst we wait, join me to take a stroll through the course of the activities of this community of Ghanaians in the past year which made the news. Again, the Council of Ghana Nationals Association in Italy (COGNAI), the umbrella of all local Ghanaians Associations in Italy was hardly seen on the radar. Among others, the Council was unable to organise the ‘Miss Ghana in Italy Beauty Pageant’ and but for a group of Ghanaians who in the latter part of the year hurriedly arranged a ‘look-alike’ show of the contest, one of the most crowd pulling events within the community would have been cancelled for the second consecutive year. What went wrong with COGNAI? Financial crisis stood between the Council and the Show and with that constraint the communities of Ghanaians in Italy were denied the needed substance associated with the event. COGNAI however managed to organise some events, one meeting in the city Lecco and two seminars in the cities Novara and Varese (in collaboration with the local Associations) - a business meeting on investments and training for entrepreneurs. The long wait for a new Ghana Ambassador to Italy finally came to an end when Her Excellency (Mrs.) Evelyn Anita Stokes-Hayford took office around the middle of the year. I was in Rome when she met representatives of Ghanaians communities in Italy after presenting her ‘Letters of Credence’ to Italy’s President, Giorgio Napolitano. Relatively unknown in diplomatic circles but it appears she has that kind of a loving mother, passionate about her children and wants to do everything possible to help Ghanaians in Italy.
It’s still early days to give the Honourable Stateswoman enough credits but her first major duty on the community with ‘Consular Services at the door steps of Ghanaians in Italy’ sending her staff out to cities where many Ghanaians are based to process their documents as done at the Embassy in Rome must be commended. This is an exercise that has been seen before by Ghanaians in Italy but didn’t get anywhere. It’s believed this time it will be taken serious to remove extra expenses of travelling all the way to Rome to process such documents. Come to think of it that a Ghanaian living in the north or deep south in Italy and need to have a document authenticated at a cost of €30 will have to pay travelling cost over €100 covering a distance between 500-800 km to the Ghana Embassy in Rome. All these happening in the modern world of advanced technology where things can sometimes be done by a press of a button. Notwithstanding this help from the Embassy, Ghanaians here are continuously raising their anger and protests over the €200 cost for a new or renewal of the Ghana passport which is 85% more than what their compatriots pay at other Ghana Embassies in Europe. This issue has over been emphasised but it all appears to be falling on death ears when the Government of Ghana must re-think its decision on the expensive cost of the Ghana passport here – Ghanaians in Italy are not mining gold. Two former Ministers of State from Ghana in the heat of protests and threats to go on demonstration against the cost came to put a soft pad on the issue stating the cost of such documents at Ghana Embassies in Europe would be revised and a common fee charged but 3 years has passed by since those statements were made and nothing of what they said has happened, it was all ‘sweet talks’ to cool tempers - if you believe these politicians you believe pigs can fly. The truth of the matter you can find in all these is: no Government, whether right wing, left wing or ‘front and back’, would like to cut off a good source of income. They have found the demand of the Ghana passport in Italy is high and at a cost of €200 that’s good income for the Government so why would they want to reduce that, they will continue to scratch hard the backs of Ghanaians here even if it becomes bloody to get what they want - it shows you how insensitive they are to their plight despites all the complains. If there was any activity within the year that brought memories of the glamourous events of Ghana’s culture and its captivating displays in the past years it was the inauguration of the Brong Ahafo Citizens Union (BACU) in the city Modena. What an extraordinary Show that portrayed the image of Ghana in spectacular fashion! For the past years covering events on the communities of Ghanaians here in Italy, I have not seen such a wonderful display of Ghana’s culture in a single event like that one. The Paramount Chief of Techiman Traditional Area - Oseadeèyo Nana Akumfi Ameyaw IV - and his entourage of three other chiefs who were invited from Ghana for the occasion put up a Show that will linger on the minds of all those present for a long time to come. Their majestic entry into the auditorium of the event, highly dosed with traditional costumes, drumming, horn-blowing, dancing and all the trappings of such an event in Ghana of chiefs and people was a scene worth watching and the few Italians among the audience joined in greeting it with an enthusiastic response. The chiefs didn’t only come to showcase the immense and beautiful culture of Ghana but provided enough information about investing in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. Kudos to BACU, you made every Ghanaian at that event very proud. The inauguration day of natives from the Greater Accra Region (Gadangmes) Union in Vicenza was also an event to remember. The culture of the people of Gadangmes was well exhibited with traditional dances from the Region. The Union has started with help to the Region having adopted a Children’s Home in Accra and providing a needed support. On the other side of the same street; its sister Union in the Emilia Romagna Region had a story to tell that was not only sad but unbelievable. It’s efforts to help out some hospitals in Accra with beds and an ambulance was given a severe blow before it could turn into reality when the ambulance was stolen from its container after arriving at the Tema port, Ghana. You may ask how could it happen but it really did. This is inhuman on the part of all those involved, come to think of it that the ambulance is meant for a local hospital in Accra where pregnant women are wheeled to the hospital on four-wheel carts. Whilst we are still at it, Dayana Akosua Adu Biney was my ‘Personality of the Year’ within the communities of Ghanaians in Italy. Launching 4 books (all religious) on the trot in the city Brescia, where she resides, was phenomenal and a great achievement. After getting some of the headlines the previous year as the ONLY African female newscaster on Italian TV she came on top again with the launching of her 4 books. As a pastor, evangelist, gospel artiste, cultural mediator, journalist and now an author, Dayana arguably is one of the most hardworking Ghanaians in Italy. You need wits and nerves to confront difficult and discouraging situations living as an immigrant in Italy and she’s got that in abundance. My interview with her within the year will go into the archives as one of the greatest stories I have covered so far within the communities of Ghanaians here. She made some amazing and inspiring comments as I delved deep about the hindrances that confront immigrants in Italy trying to make a living and make progress. She said: “Italy has changed drastically and all is falling into the hands of the people from the East. I mean Chinese, Indians, etc. If we also believe in our potentials, change will come. The problem is not the Italians. We must emancipate ourselves from our mental captivity and then change will be inevitable.” That was ‘good meat’ and some food for thought for any foreign national in the country who thinks it’s impossible to make it here. I was happy also to see Ghanaian youths in the city Reggio Emilia launch a new magazine. This is the first time any group of Ghanaians here has brought out such an idea into reality and hope the purpose intended would be fully realised. As I was enjoying 4 Radio Stations (all owned by Ghanaians in the city Vicenza) which I have made so much noise and proud of being a Ghanaian here, all four stations closed down within 3 months of the year. What happened? Crisis hit them hard. My worrying question is: Do Ghanaians in Italy need 4 Radio Stations (all owned by Ghanaians) in one city? The answer is not far and it would have been a huge success if all eggs are put in one basket. On a more sad note also 5 Ghanaians died within the year in one city alone (Parma). Whilst 3 of these deaths were through motor accidents the other 2 were through illness of which they were recovering in hospital. The first of the last two which occurred has some cloud of questions hanging around it. Reports had it that a Ghanaian lady, whilst on admission at a Government hospital, jumped through the window from the 4th floor at 12 midnight. Medical staff diagnosed her illness as hypertension. According to the hospital authourities she woke up and jumped through the window after having been transferred from a local hospital of the city a day before. The medical staff explanation of what happened leading to the death of the poor woman didn’t appear to add up. She was said to have been visited by her son just 4 hours before her death and the story that she didn’t die instantly after plunging from such height but was taken up to be resuscitated until she gave up after 45 minutes may be indicating something sinister might have happened which was covered up. To add to that, police at the hospital were notified and the story was not reported in the local media until after 5 days. It is not the first time a Ghanaian or a national of African descent has died under strange circumstances in an Italian hospital. The sad situation over the years is nobody goes forward to investigate such cases and they die off.
Is the year 2011 going to bring good what went wrong in 2010? Where will ‘crisis’ be as Ghanaians in Italy again take strides to bring back their lost pride with activities which put them ahead of other Africans by breaking difficult grounds to project the image of their country abroad? I am hoping for a better year but can they keep ‘crisis’ at a long distance?
