GUBA Enterprise Brings Tema Mayor To The Royal Borough Of Greenwich

Hon. Isaac Ashai Odamtten, the Mayor of Tema, Ghana and his delegation visited the UK from the 16^th to 22^nd of March 2016 on an official forward thinking and fact finding partnership.

This visit was made possible under the auspices of the Government of Ghana and the Tema Metropolitan Assembly’s Mayor, Hon. Isaac Ashai Odamtten in association with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the Leader, Cllr Denise Hyland, Deputy Leader, Cllr John Fahy and the Mayor, Cllr Norman Adams with support from GUBA Enterprise. A delegation from the Royal Borough also visited Ghana late last year.

The visit was part of the twin city link between Greenwich and Tema. The twinning link is a friendship agreement involving co-operation between the two communities in areas of Education, Sports and Governance.

The twinned communities plan to organise projects and activities around a range of issues to develop a relationship and understanding of their historical, cultural and lifestyle similarities and differences. These projects will aid the community and the local economy.

During a formal welcoming reception of the delegation at the Town Hall, The Mayor of the Royal Borough Cllr Norman Adams and Council Leader Cllr Denise Hyland expressed their appreciation of the presence of the delegation in the borough. Cllr Norman Adams said, “We in the Royal Borough are very privileged to have you here and this visit has even inspired us to generate more enthusiasm is this civic twinning in developing it further into a full blown economy bilateral partnership between these two cities and our countries in the long term”.

Hon. Isaac Ashai Odamtten in response also said his commitment to strengthening the existing partnership between Tema and Greenwich is unparalleled. “I seek to move the partnership to the next notch to make it responsive to the changing times, by promoting investment opportunities on both sides”, he said

During the visit, several pillars were put in place for a more stable and proactive relationship. There were several briefings and presentations which included: Good Governance, Sanitation and Recycling, Smart Cities, Revenue Mobilisation and how the Tema Stadium can be modelled on the Greenwich Leisure centres. The Ghana Greenwich Association also treated the Tema delegation to a reception on one evening of their visit.

The delegation also had the honour of attending the Royal Greenwich Civic Awards at the Greenwich Town Hall which was hosted by the Mayor and the Deputy Leader. A highlight of the visit was a Bavarian Evening at the Charlton Manor Primary (A twin school to two schools in Tema- Twedaase Primary & Manhean TMA Primary B).

On the final day, the Mayor of Tema and his delegation presented tokens of friendship gifts to the Greenwich Delegation in the presence of : Cllr Denise Hyland, Cllr David Gardner, Chris Symons, Sean, Cllr Linda Bird, Joseph Turner-Wing (Charlton Manor Primary School), Cllr John Fahy, Royal Ambassador John CarMichael and George Ameyaw (Head of PR for GUBA).

The Public Relations Officer from the Tema Metropolitan Assembly, Mr Frank Asante who is also responsible for international partnerships reiterated the Mayor’s move to encourage joint partnerships between UK and Ghana. He also invited residents of the Royal Borough of Greenwich to attend the upcoming Grand Meridian Cultural Festival in Tema, Ghana in September this year.

Head of PR for the Ghana UK Based Achievement (Awards) – GUBA, Mr. George Ameyaw also added that; “the twinning link between Tema and the Royal Borough of Greenwich is a positive partnership which we endorse. The Royal Borough of Greenwich continues to demonstrate its commitment to improving its local and international communities. We thank both boroughs for making these positive strides towards a solid mutually beneficial partnership”

The Royal Borough of Greenwich in partnership with GUBA will be hosting GUBA Greenwich Expo 2016 from the 20^th to 22^nd of May 2016 at the Charlton Athletic Football Club, The Valley and the Gordon Square on the final day. The GUBA Expo will be a platform to recognise and provide opportunities for African Small/Medium Businesses to excel in the UK.

To find out more about the GUBA Greenwich Expo, kindly visit www.gubaexpo.co.uk