Ghanaian community is safe in Egypt - Ambassador

Ghana's Ambassador to Egypt, Lt. Col. Umar Sanda Ahmed (rtd), has said Ghanaians living in Egypt are safe and there is no cause for alarm.

He indicated that Egypt was currently enjoying relative peace after going through political turmoil about three years ago, and that the Ghanaian community there had developed confidence in the new regime for their safety.

The Ambassador stated these at the Ghana Embassy in Cairo, when he granted audience to a team of Ghanaian Journalists who are currently attending a Regional forum for African Journalists being sponsored by the Egyptian government.

Lt. Col Ahmed indicated that Ghanaians consistently sought Consular support when they needed it, and that Ghanaians had stayed within the confines of Egyptian laws and had no problems with the authorities. "I am yet to come across a report from the Egyptian authorities about a Ghanaian involved in serious infractions. I can confidently say Ghanaians have conducted themselves diligently".

The Ambassador said Ghana had much to learn from Egypt, especially in agriculture, by developing and enhancing the country’s technological base, because the Egyptian economy was largely agrarian and had adopted local techniques to develop all-year-round agricultural production.

He called on the business community in Ghana to take advantage of the prevailing peaceful environment in Egypt to do business there, and urged Ghanaian investors to consider investing in the beverages and confectionery sectors which had large markets in Egypt.

On the November 7 general election, the Ambassador appealed to Ghanaians, especially political parties and their followers, to exercise the utmost restraint as the polls approached, and reminded them of the devastating effects of conflict.

Sharing his experience as a retired military officer, Lt. Col. Ahmed made reference to sister African countries such as Liberia and Sierra Leone that had gone through political turmoil resulting in civil war.

He reminded that the only country Ghanaians had was Ghana and appealed to the citizenry to act with decorum to avoid conflict before, during and after the elections.