A SPIN TOO FAR

DAYS after the President of the United States, Mr George Bush, had left the shores of Ghana after his historic three-day visit to the country, social commentators of every hue and colour have begun putting a spin on the essence of the visit.
The Daily Graphic has said in these columns before that the visit by President Bush was worthwhile, if for nothing at all at least on account of enhancing ties between the US and Ghana.
But, in real terms, the visit brought us something more than just an enhancement of diplomatic ties. There were also social and economic benefits which may not be immediately felt but whose effects can be felt in the nearest future.
During his visit, President Bush announced a $17 million initiative to fight malaria over a three-year period and additional support in the fight against neglected diseases such as onchocerciasis. The US President also cleared the air on the vexed issue of whether or not the US government intended to build a military base in Ghana.
More important, all discerning Ghanaians should accept the undeniable fact that the visit has brought a lot of good things to Ghana, to all intents and purposes.
For one thing, for the 36 hours that President Bush was here, Ghana was the focus of the international media, thereby projecting the country for business, diplomacy and international relations.
If we consider that President Bush’s visit came in the wake of the Ghana 2008 soccer tournament, during which the country was the cynosure of the international media, then we can say that Ghana has become the centrepiece of democracy, good governance and a determined effort to improve the well-being of its people.
Probably the best thing that came out of the Bush visit, in the estimation of this paper, is the waving of the magic wand that brought arguably the two most popular political figures in the country — President J. A. Kufuor and former President J. J. Rawlings — together to exchange pleasantries. The last time the two did so was in 2003!
Before that memorable occasion last Wednesday, social commentators had been at pains explaining why Flt Lt Rawlings and the leadership of the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress, would not attend the State Banquet in honour of the visiting US President.
Such commentators should have been at the banquet to witness the ambience there. It was an atmosphere better felt than described, as the banquet provided the opportunity for the leading political figures of the country from across the political divide to share ideas and exchange pleasantries.
The Daily Graphic can only say a big thank you to President Bush for providing that magic wand that seemed to have melted away the cold relationship between President Kufuor and former President Rawlings.
Our belief is that things will not end just there but the two, with the backing of their friends and families, will build on the opportunity offered by the banquet for President Bush to Ghanaians to sit and dine together, despite our political differences.
We must all appreciate the fact that as a nation, what unites us is bigger than our differences, for which reason the interest of corporate Ghana must always be the guiding principle in our national endeavours.
At this particular point in our existence, a lot seem to be going well for us and the country is highly regarded in international circles. What we are sure of is that things can only get better when all Ghanaians agree to distance themselves from objectionable things like the polarisation of our body politic along party lines and instead build unity in diversity.