OBAMA'S HISTORIC VISIT (MAY 19, 2009)

COME July 10-11, 2009, Ghanaians will welcome President Barack Obama of the US to the country for a two-day official visit which will mark another turning point in the long-standing relations between Ghana and the US.
What makes the visit more profound is the fact that it is the first to Africa by President Obama since assuming office in January. President Obama is the first Black American President and it is interesting that both he and President Mills campaigned on a platform of change and the electorate found favour with their pledge to better the lot of their people and voted for them.
Relations between the two countries date back to 1961 when the US government dispatched the first batch of US Peace Corps volunteers to Ghana. Since then, the bonds of friendship have grown from strength to strength, except during the period of military regimes.
With Obama’s visit in July, the number of sitting American Presidents who have visited Ghana will reach three, after President William Jefferson Clinton in 1998 and President George Walker Bush in 2008.
The visits of American Presidents have always brought good tidings to Ghana. The visit to Ghana by President Clinton coincided with his administration’s decision to roll out the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) which opened the sluice gate for Ghanaian businessmen and women to export locally produced items to the US market.
On his visit to Ghana in 2008, President Bush also announced a number of initiatives to improve on the economic well-being of Ghanaians.
If he follows the trail blazed by his predecessors, it is likely President Obama will announce similar initiatives during his visit.
Our optimism stems from the early indications he has given which suggest that Ghana will occupy a strategic place in the relations between his administration and Africa.
Ghanaians have a lot to learn from President Obama, whose campaign catch phrase was “Yes, We Can”. He brushed aside all the odds against him to emerge as the first African American President of the USA.
For President Obama to choose Ghana as the first point of call, over and above Kenya where his father comes from, should gladden the hearts of all Ghanaians. The visit is also ample endorsement of Ghana’s democratic credentials. It has become an outpost of democracy and civil society in a volatile West African sub-region.
The programme for the American President’s visit is yet to be made public, but what is certain is that our august visitor will hold bilateral talks with President Mills.
It is our expectation that President Mills will discuss with him issues such as the credit crunch and its effects on Ghana’s economy and how to deal with them. Again, the security of the West African sub-region, the Millennium Challenge Account and prospects of the emerging oil industry in Ghana will certainly feature in the discussions between the two leaders.
As we wait for the visit, we should begin to put our house in order. We should not wait until a few days to his arrival before we begin to keep the city clean, repair our street lights and beautify our environment.
We urge our traditional leaders and the people to give a rousing welcome to the American leader. We are hopeful that the visit will be mutually rewarding and beneficial.