Is US-Ghana relations straining?

When Ghanaians woke up last Thursday morning to hear the news that two senior government officials had been denied visas to the United States of America (USA) by the US embassy in Ghana, many thought it was one of the usual mishaps on the part of the US authorities.

Many also assumed that the cause of the refusal would be rectified immediately to enable Dr Joseph Oteng Adjei, Minister of Energy and Ato Ahwoi, the said two government officials, to travel to the US.

But, unfortunately the issue has dragged on, with Mr Oteng Adjei and Mr Ahwoi left in a state of dilemma, and without the slightest inkling whether they will be granted visas.

And shortly after the news had broken out, the US embassy came up with the cagey explanation that could best be described as a stoic rebuttal to the effect that the denial of visas to the two Ghanaian officials had no bearing on a possible diplomatic rift between the two countries.

The only explanation the US embassy could give to the issue was that the two government officials could not meet the requisite standard of the Consular section for visas to be granted them. Of course that was to be expected and nothing less!

News also filtered in yesterday that Ghana's football contingent to a special invitation tournament in the US, which is expected to kick-start on May 28, dubbed: “The Obama Cup,” have also been denied visas by the US embassy.

In light of the above, we at Today are tempted to ask whether the denial of visas to the Ghanaian football contingent was also based on the fact the contingent could not satisfy the necessary requirement at the US Consular section?

Or is that the US government is registering its displeasure at what some US officials reportedly accused the government of Ghana of offering a raw deal to Kosmos Energy, a US company, in the Ghana oil find, as captured in the influential and elitist financial newspaper – The Wall Street Journal, some few weeks ago?

In fact, a related story on the Ghana-Kosmos stand-off was also captured by another conservative business and financial US newspaper – The Washington Times.

The said publication took issues with the Ghana government on its intention to buy out Kosmos stake in Ghana's oil.

From all indications, the two based US newspapers' views on matters of finance and other US trade relations are just a reflection of the stance of the crème-de-la-crème of the US society.

The said publication was first carried in our April 19, 2010 edition which was headlined “Big fight over Ghana's oil”.

Indeed, if what is happening is anything to go by, then Today will like to use this platform to urge the Professor Mills led government to, as a matter of national importance, take steps to resolve the raging impasse between the two countries before matters get out of hand.

The NDC government should note that the number of Ghanaians seeking economic refuge in the US, coupled with benefits the American government is offering Ghana, far outweigh what we seek to do in the Kosmos deal.

Professor Mills should also fight hard to avoid a legacy of “it was during the Atta Mills era that Ghanaians were banned from travelling to US”.

On that score, we would like to remind government in case it has forgotten that the US is sponsoring many projects in this country among which include the construction of the Gimpos-Mallam-Yamoransa road through the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), which facility was secured under the able tutelage of Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, the then Minister for Public Sector Reforms, in the erstwhile NPP administration and others.

Today seizes this opportunity to reiterate that it will also be in the interest of the nation, especially Ghanaians domiciled in US, to institute measures to resolve the impasse before the matter shoots rocket high. A word to a wise is…