After a long suspense, in the midst of Ghanaians in Italy asking questions about who is going to be the next Ghana’s Ambassador to Italy, Her Excellency Mrs. Evelyn Anita Stokes-Hayford, has taken office.
What went wrong or contributed to the long wait of 16 months, after Ghanaians have elected a new Government into power in December 2008 and the expectation of a new Head at the Embassy in Rome is not what I am going to get into here. Some lines, however, in this piece may help out to the current Honorable Stateswoman as she takes the chair to run affairs at the Embassy.
It’s not so much about who takes the seat and the political party the person belongs that matters to the many Ghanaians in Italy. They have been looking forward for so long expecting some of their problems of which the Embassy is concerned and remains unsolved, during the tenure of office of the immediate past Ambassador, would be addressed. They believe their welfare as foreigners living far from home (Ghana) should be taken into consideration by the Embassy.
Looking back at the position of an Ambassador here in Italy, men and women of noble standing have graced past. Very few of them (actually you can count them) appear to have shown any concern about the welfare of Ghanaians in the country. Most of them came, rub their back in the chair, collected ‘fat’ salaries and left, leaving nothing to be remembered for. It’s for this reason H.E. Mrs. Stokes-Hayford has a duty on hand to perform. If she decides to run the show ignoring the community of Ghanaians here that will not leave a good note behind her (I will tell you why), no one will remember her after her exit.
Your Excellency, Italy and the Ghanaians community here may seem a soft territory but it’s not. Here you are with a population of Ghanaians, the legal residents is estimated to be 60,000 but if count is going to be made of those without …… you know what I mean… eh, then the number is heading towards the 80,000 mark or more. This is quite a big number of your country men and women staying in a foreign land and they will be looking forward and watching with keen interest as you promote Ghana’s image and take into consideration their welfare.
You will find out they cannot boast of similar numbers of Ghanaian intellectuals as you may find in say the U.S or U.K. There are some you may even be tempted to ask how they ended up here – you may wince at that but this is what we have here.
However, underneath their different levels of education, tribal differences, religion and political stands lies a strong bond of unity which will amaze you and taken for granted could have some unpleasant consequences. A Former Ambassador here underestimated them and the end result saw or contributed to his exit from office – he did not go alone, two other top diplomats from the Embassy followed him.
To brief you here a little, there was disagreement between the Embassy and the community of Ghanaians over an increase of 85% on acquisition and renewal of the Ghana passport. Ghanaians here felt the 200 euros on the cost, from 115 euros on this document, is way over the top - expensive - and raised a protest. Petitions flew over board through their leaders – the Council of Ghana Nationals Associations in Italy (COGNAI) - to which the Ambassador failed or deliberately ignored to address. He might have considered them a bunch of nonentities who can only bark but not bite.
The confrontation gathered momentum and to go on demonstration infront of the Embassy where masses of their communities were prepared to go and show their teeth in anger against the increase. Their repeated protests even to the Government in power were ignored. In the heat of things the Government finally woke up when they got wind of the disgrace about to happen on the face of Ghana abroad, if the demonstration goes ahead and decided to act. They sent a then Deputy Minister to Italy who hurriedly arranged a meeting to speak to the community leaders in the presence of the Ambassador. He came in with ‘sweet’ words to calm matters, promising at the meeting he will see to it on his return to Accra all the Ghana Embassies in Europe charge the same fees on passport – one of the points raised in the protest note. His statement at that meeting was a lie. He went back to Accra and nothing of what he said happened. However, his political strategy succeeded in diffusing the threat gathering for the ‘demo’. Ghanaians in Italy will not want to run through again that course of lies and deceit.
Your Excellency, you will be confronted with the same issue on the passport fees and be pushed to answer some questions as they continue to pay the new fee -grinding their teeth. I have reliably learnt Ghanaians in Holland, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, U.K. and France pay 80% less than what is being charged in Italy on the issuing of passport. So why are Ghanaians in Italy paying a higher cost for the same document considering they are also in Europe? They will want to get some answers here.
They will also demand Ghana open Consulate Office(s) in the north of the country where most of the Ghanaians population and Italy’s industries are based to process passports, translation of documents and to promote trade and investments to Ghana. It does appear the Consulate Office in Milan is only in the duty of pasting visas in passports and nothing more. Ghanaians here will not want to make a 500 to 800 km. journey to Rome spending over 100 euros on transportation to have a marriage, school or any other certificate translated and authenticated for a fee of 30 euros.
Your interactions with the community will be closely scrutinized. They will not expect an Ambassador who will only sit at the desk to push diplomatic matters only and ignoring them. The immediate past Ambassador got some things wrong but in his 21 months in office Ghanaians here noticed him as not a boss with an arm band showing people around he is the one always in charge preferring doors to be opened for him and his light weight briefcase be carried behind him.
He was prepared to listen to his people, welcomed their suggestions and found time to attend some of their functions.
Aside of his duties in office, he walks down to the reception at the Embassy interacting freely with Ghanaians who have come to process their document wanting to know more about them and their difficulties. One Ghanaian told me he had divulged much information to him at the reception before realizing he is the Ambassador.
In short, the man was easy to approach and many here will remember him for his well organized event at the end of the year (2007) dinner and awards night honoring deserving Ghanaians and Italians here who have contributed immensely towards the good course of the communities here and in Ghana. It was the first of its kind here and will linger on the minds of many who witnessed that event.
Your Excellency, you may not approach your duties in the same manner as your predecessor but whatever way you choose, Ghanaians here will expect you leave an indelible mark for which you will be remembered for the years to come. You will find patriotic Ghanaians community willing to cooperate if you are prepared to listen to them, sometimes, in the course of decision taking on their welfare.
There are over 20 Ghanaians Associations in various cities, all under the umbrella of COGNAI, of which you may have regular contacts in pushing your agenda to the people. As I stated earlier they have a strong unity and should not be underestimated. The Ghanaian here may not know a compatriot back home (Ghana) but will not abandon the person when in difficulty. They will help. You don’t find that in most communities of Africans here.
You will face many requests on their pension contributions which you have little or no knowledge about. They will demand that you use your good office to help them get their money all in a lump sum – pension money for that matter – when they want to go home to Ghana after years working here. The fact of the matter is, Italy is unlikely to change its law on their pension scheme for the interest of Ghanaians or immigrants here. Their law states, you ONLY qualify to be paid your pension (money) at the age of 65 years and by then you should have contributed a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of 40 years, worked regularly and contributed into the scheme. This affects also Italian citizens and they will not want to change that as far as the law stands now. It’s a complicated issue of which you will need the experts, who know the information on this scheme, to give you all the details before you contemplate to lead Ghana in striking any agreement (if possible) with the Italian authorities on this.
I have to mention here Ghanaians here are considered among the most hardworking group of foreign nationals. There are false thoughts abroad they work on tomato farms and been labeled with some demeaning names but those who have found time to come here have left with a different story to tell. Through their tribal Unions and local Ghanaians Associations they have been contributing to the social development of the nation, Ghana. There have been various groups who send equipment to hospitals and helping in providing social amenities to communities in Ghana.
The situation with the youth, fortunately, has not deteriorated into the crimes you may find among some groups of the Ghanaian youths abroad. The Ghanaians churches appear to be having a big influence on the lives of the youths as about 70% of Ghanaians here could be seen walking into churches to worship on Sundays – that is helping a lot. But as you walk through their communities you will notice there are many of these churches. You will come across (if you care to know) more than 80 of these Ghanaians churches In one city alone and with all these a number of Reverends, Bishops, Prophets and Evangelists – you name any of these titles you know as far as Ministers of God are concerned. This is entirely another topic of its own to be discussed – not for now. The good news is that you can also channel most of your messages through these churches or religious groups as many Ghanaians can be reached there.
Honorable Stateswoman, it will interest you to know through the hard work and the nature of the Ghanaian here there are 4 Radio Stations (all Ghanaian-owned). They are the only Africans here and perhaps within the immigrants community who have established such an outlet to reach many listeners with education on the laws which normally affects immigrants in this country as well as promoting the image of Ghana through its culture, music and also featuring news and programs from Ghana.
These media houses will help your job and they will give praise where it’s due but at the same time will open up whatever goes sour in your camp.
Before I leave you, Your Excellency, let me bring it to your notice, the Ghana Embassy in Rome website began by your predecessor is sitting there like a white elephant without any significant update. It’s as if nothing is happening at the Embassy, within the Ghanaians communities and the various links within the site. It’s a turn off for people who log on, at times, finding the same information at some points whilst expecting to read different news.
Let me take this opportunity to say, ‘Benvenuta a Italia’(Welcome to Italy).
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