Twenty two years ago when Ghana Festival, acronym Ghanafest, actually started, the pioneers of the annual event had no idea that it would grow into the magnitude we are witnessing year after year! Ghanafest has become one of the greatest cultural and ethnic expositions of African descent in the diaspora. As expected, the governor of the state of Illinois, Pat Quinn, made history by being the first governor to attend. The Governor’s 80 year old mother was also present at the festival. Ghana’s ambassador to the USA, H.E Daniel Ohene Agyekum kept the tradition started by Koby Koomson on course when he showed up to meet the largest Ghanaian crowd yet on his tour of duty in the USA at the festival. The well known Kete Group from Cincinnati brought nostalgic memories of authentic and live Kete drumming and dancing to grace the festival. The Chicago Fire Soccer Club of the USA Major League featured Ghanaian International soccer star, Patrick Nyarko, in the festival advertisement book and also took a booth at the festival grounds.
Governor Pat Quinn paid a growing tribute to the organizers of the festival for a wonderful job done by bringing the Ghanaian community together every year to celebrate their rich culture. He proclaimed July 31 2010 as Ghanafest Day in Illinois and welcomed all to celebrate the Ghanaian Culture and Heritage. H.E Daniel Ohene Agyekum, Ghana’s ambassador to the USA used the occasion to remind Ghanaians in the Diaspora that culture is the identity of a community of people and that they should strive to make cultural education as part of their responsibility as parents. “Your language, the food you eat, the way you dance, and the clothing you wear all depict your culture. Unfortunately some of your children cannot speak their parent’s language, eat their food or dress like you have done so beautifully today.” the ambassador lamented! He ended by expressing his sincere thanks to the organizers for the invitation. The president of the Ghana National Council of Metropolitan, Chicago,GNC, John Henry Assabill reminded Ghanaians that the year 2010 is once more, a year of fortitude to us Ghanaians both at home and abroad as our country produced the most excitement in sport for the African at the World Cup in South Africa. Also, it is the year for the first time ever; our nation is being looked at critically by the international media with regards to our geo- political and macro- economic growth as a result of our enviable political record and discovery of oil in large quantities.
“Fellow Ghanaians, this year, Ghana would join the oil producing countries by exporting oil in commercial quantities. There are many lingering questions with regards to its discovery and/or exploration by Kosmos, the American company which helped discover the oil and gas in commercial quantities. As Ghanaians always behave, we gave a lot of respect to Kosmos but they did not return it.How could Kosmos offer for sale their total shares to Exxon Mobile without informing or consulting with the government and people of Ghana and then turn around to ask and demand that the our government endorse the sale? We in Chicago would like to make it abundantly clear to Accra that we support you, do not sign it until the terms of the sale have been carefully scrutinized to benefit the people of Ghana. The sovereignty and laws of Ghana must be respected by people or companies that do business with Ghana.” John Henry sternly warned Kosmos and showed his total support to the government of Ghana.
John Henry Assabil concluded by saying “Ladies and Gentlemen, our country does not have the resources to match the media blitz of the opposition we face, but it has people like you and I who could go out there the defend mother Ghana. There should be no political or tribal divide in this cause. We need those investors as much as the socio-economic progress of the people of Ghana is concerned, but our sovereignty must be respected.”
The chairman of Ghanafest 2010, Mr. Ediie Quartey challenge both the current community leaders and aspiring ones who are still sitting on the fence, to finally take the plunge and step forward to help with the great experiment that is going on in Chicago .
Eddie Quartey concluded by showing his deep concern of the future of the community when he stated that “Some of our current leaders will someday retire. Do we care who replaces them when they do?…I DO CARE…Because developing new, vibrant, qualified leaders ensures the security of our community, in terms of our progress and in upholding our cherished Ghanaian tradition of excellence and responsibility.”
Preliminary figures released by the GNC shows that tickets sold at the gate alone generated Twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) Sponsors of the event were Western Union, MoneyGram, DishNetwork, Ghanaweb, African Spectrum Newspaper, Annaka Enterprises and Sam Anum.
For more pictures please visit...http://www.ghananationalcouncil.org/ghanafest20101.htm
Twenty two years ago when Ghana Festival, acronym Ghanafest, actually started, the pioneers of the annual event had no idea that it would grow into the magnitude we are witnessing year after year! Ghanafest has become one of the greatest cultural and ethnic expositions of African descent in the diaspora. As expected, the governor of the state of Illinois, Pat Quinn, made history by being the first governor to attend. The Governor’s 80 year old mother was also present at the festival. Ghana’s ambassador to the USA, H.E Daniel Ohene Agyekum kept the tradition started by Koby Koomson on course when he showed up to meet the largest Ghanaian crowd yet on his tour of duty in the USA at the festival. The well known Kete Group from Cincinnati brought nostalgic memories of authentic and live Kete drumming and dancing to grace the festival. The Chicago Fire Soccer Club of the USA Major League featured Ghanaian International soccer star, Patrick Nyarko, in the festival advertisement book and also took a booth at the festival grounds.
Governor Pat Quinn paid a growing tribute to the organizers of the festival for a wonderful job done by bringing the Ghanaian community together every year to celebrate their rich culture. He proclaimed July 31 2010 as Ghanafest Day in Illinois and welcomed all to celebrate the Ghanaian Culture and Heritage. H.E Daniel Ohene Agyekum, Ghana’s ambassador to the USA used the occasion to remind Ghanaians in the Diaspora that culture is the identity of a community of people and that they should strive to make cultural education as part of their responsibility as parents. “Your language, the food you eat, the way you dance, and the clothing you wear all depict your culture. Unfortunately some of your children cannot speak their parent’s language, eat their food or dress like you have done so beautifully today.” the ambassador lamented! He ended by expressing his sincere thanks to the organizers for the invitation. The president of the Ghana National Council of Metropolitan, Chicago,GNC, John Henry Assabill reminded Ghanaians that the year 2010 is once more, a year of fortitude to us Ghanaians both at home and abroad as our country produced the most excitement in sport for the African at the World Cup in South Africa. Also, it is the year for the first time ever; our nation is being looked at critically by the international media with regards to our geo- political and macro- economic growth as a result of our enviable political record and discovery of oil in large quantities.
“Fellow Ghanaians, this year, Ghana would join the oil producing countries by exporting oil in commercial quantities. There are many lingering questions with regards to its discovery and/or exploration by Kosmos, the American company which helped discover the oil and gas in commercial quantities. As Ghanaians always behave, we gave a lot of respect to Kosmos but they did not return it.How could Kosmos offer for sale their total shares to Exxon Mobile without informing or consulting with the government and people of Ghana and then turn around to ask and demand that the our government endorse the sale? We in Chicago would like to make it abundantly clear to Accra that we support you, do not sign it until the terms of the sale have been carefully scrutinized to benefit the people of Ghana. The sovereignty and laws of Ghana must be respected by people or companies that do business with Ghana.” John Henry sternly warned Kosmos and showed his total support to the government of Ghana.
John Henry Assabil concluded by saying “Ladies and Gentlemen, our country does not have the resources to match the media blitz of the opposition we face, but it has people like you and I who could go out there the defend mother Ghana. There should be no political or tribal divide in this cause. We need those investors as much as the socio-economic progress of the people of Ghana is concerned, but our sovereignty must be respected.”
The chairman of Ghanafest 2010, Mr. Ediie Quartey challenge both the current community leaders and aspiring ones who are still sitting on the fence, to finally take the plunge and step forward to help with the great experiment that is going on in Chicago .
Eddie Quartey concluded by showing his deep concern of the future of the community when he stated that “Some of our current leaders will someday retire. Do we care who replaces them when they do?…I DO CARE…Because developing new, vibrant, qualified leaders ensures the security of our community, in terms of our progress and in upholding our cherished Ghanaian tradition of excellence and responsibility.”
Preliminary figures released by the GNC shows that tickets sold at the gate alone generated Twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) Sponsors of the event were Western Union, MoneyGram, DishNetwork, Ghanaweb, African Spectrum Newspaper, Annaka Enterprises and Sam Anum.
For more pictures please visit...http://www.ghananationalcouncil.org/ghanafest20101.htm
