Make Ghanaians Abroad Major Stakeholders and Workers of Diaspora Affairs- FEGHADE Tells Mahama

FEGHADE’S PROPOSED SPEECH AT UNESCO (President Mahama’s Lectures 05/10/2015)

Delivered to the President through Protocol for Lack of Space on Program.

H.E. President of the Republic of Ghana

H.E. Director-General of UNESCO

The Diplomatic Corps Present

Distinguished Audience,

I bring you warm welcome greetings from the Federation of Ghanaian Diaspora in Europe, (FEGHADE) and the Ghanaian Community in France Council, GHACIF.

FEGHADE is proud to be part of the audience of today’s lecture. It’s not everyday that one gets the President of Ghana on his way for a lecture of today’s dimension.

We are grateful to H.E. Irina Bokova for UNESCO’s attention on Ghana. Please permit us to congratulate President Mahama for being selected amongst other world leaders for this lecture.

FEGHADE was created at the Diasporan Engagement Policy meeting organised by Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union’s Migration Expertise last October 2014. It was the major outcome of the meeting. We deal with the interest of Ghana’s Diaspora in Europe and beyond when neccessary.

Given today’s opportunity, FEGHADE would first of all like to congratulate you President Mahama and your Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Hanna Tetteh for upgrading the Diaspora Support Unit that you created into a Diaspora Affairs Bureau and establishing Diaspora Desks in all Ghana diplomatic Missions Abroad for us.

Honestly, this is unprecedented. Wherever you go abroad, you make it a priority to meet the diaspora. We are on the way, with this approach, we hope to get there, we hope to get it, a substantive Ministry of Ghana’s Diaspora which counts above five million today. You believe in the diaspora and you have it right. We are Ghana’s greatest offshore asset and you know it.

Many are of the opinion that, the size of the diaspora in it’s today’s context outweigh in the duties of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and this is gradually retarding the positive expectations from talents, humanitarianism and acquired skills from diasporan generations.

You are in France today so let me interestingly state that, the Ghanaian Community in France Council, GHACIF an organ of FEGHADE, made a fundraiser at a celebration of Ghana’s Republic Day 1st July 2015 for the Victims of the Accra 3rd June 2015 Flood and Fire Disaster. We gave our widow’s might to NADMO after a first one for NorthGhana Flood victims in Tamale on the 03/10/2007.

I want to quote Dr.Mohamoud Awil of the Diaspora Policy Centre in Netherlands.

”The Diaspora is the key strategic agent making the nexus between migration and development a reality. Without their strategic intervention, the crystallization of nexus between the two fields would not be possible”.

Mr. President, FEGHADE’s proposal for today is that, the diaspora, should also be made major stakeholders and workers of operations of every governmental established or yet to be established diasporan organ or institution. We know our concerns and good desires for Ghana, better.

That feat would catalyse the effective implementation of programs and policies to mobilize and motivate we diasporans to contribute more than what we are doing to Ghana’s domestic economy today. It will be the extra mile of significance, that will seal the meaningful unity for progress between Ghana and its Diaspora.

Thank you for this opportunity and God bless Ghana.

Presented on behalf of :

FEGHADE/GHACIF by:

Hon. Osei Mensah Michael (FEGHADE/GHACIF President)

Mr. Alfred Ohene Akonor (FEGHADE, France Rep)