Here Comes Barack Obama

President Obama & family

Finally Air Force One, with the 44th American President on board, touches down at the Kotoka International Airport tonight, and out of it comes the much awaited President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle.

This will, unequivocally, mark another significant epoch in Ghana-US relationship, for which some 507 journalists, both local and foreign, have formally applied to the Ministry of Information for the opportunity of recording the event into history.

As part of the momentous event fringe, hotels in Accra and Cape Coast are cashing in on the visit, having most of the hotels booked to the full, with many more requests for accommodation still coming in.

President Barack Obama is coming to the country today for a two-day official visit, and apart from the foreign journalists who are in the country to cover his visit, many other groups and individuals are also in town to witness his arrival and the subsequent activities that will mark the visit.

The Public Relations Officer of La Palm Hotel, Mr Solomon Kyere, when contacted, said the hotel was “fully, fully, booked” for the period of the President's visit. He said some prospective guests had to be directed elsewhere to find accommodation for the period.

The Coconut Groove Regency Hotel in Elmina, as well as the Coconut Bridge House, also in Elmina, was about 90 per cent full, still with more requests coming in.

The Daily Graphic's investigations showed that right from the Kotoka International Airport to North Ridge, East Legon and even in Cape Coast, hotels were already bursting at the seams.

The MPlaza Hotel at the Roman Ridge, the Coconut Groove Regency Hotel at Ridge, the La Palm Hotel at La, and the Mensvic Palace Hotel at East Legon were equally fully booked when their reservation units were contacted.

Some hotel managers, who declined to be named, though pleased at the business prospects, were overwhelmed with the demands for accommodation during the period.

Some others said the situation was so terrible that after redirecting prospective guests elsewhere, the guests returned as they could not obtain lodging anywhere else, leaving the responsibility for finding alternative lodging to the already contacted hotels.

Out of the 507 journalists who applied for accreditation, about 24 are resident foreign correspondents, and 115 are foreign journalists, some of whom are visiting the country for the first time to cover the historic event.

One hundred and ten local journalists were accredited to cover activities pertaining to the Obama visit, while 39 foreign journalists also received accreditation, due to space and convenience.

The accreditation process, specifically for the visit, is being done by the Ministry of Information, in collaboration with the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

These figures are just part of the lot more journalists in the country. Information gathered by the Daily Graphic at the US Embassy was that some journalists were in the entourage of the first family. However, officials were tight-lipped on the exact number.

Journalists in the country to cover the event are from all over the globe, including Paris, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, and Denmark.

Foreign journalists who came into the country for the event have had to get a temporary or permanent accreditation from the Ministry of Information, in accordance with laid-down procedures regarding the period of time to be spent in the country.

While a temporary press card has been issued to these journalists upon formal request to report in the country, special accreditation is needed for the coverage of specific activities of the first family in the country.

However, outdoor events such as the first family's drive through the principal streets of Accra can be covered by all without special accreditation.

Some journalists interviewed, who wanted to remain anonymous, commended the efforts of officials of the Ministry of Information, but were quick to add that accreditation processes needed to be enhanced through an online service, where information on the visit could be accessed more readily, explaining the requirements for processing.