Blacks steal from Whites

Kigali, capitol of Rwanda, 2009, first time touching down in this beautiful mountainous country of East-Africa. At the tiny Airport I filled in an arrival form, got my entry stamp into my passport and received a warm wish from Custom Officers to have a pleasant stay in the country. No Visa fees needed to be paid for as I am a German citizen. On my way out, I was asked by the Custom Officer while checking my passport about my stay and whether I had any comment to make, compliments of complaints (it never ever happened to be in any other country!).

In Kenya, arriving 2004 for the first time, filling in an arrival form at Nairobi Airport and paying Euros 50 got me into the country. In many other countries of Africa the conditions are similar.

Ghana tops it all. To get a Visa for Ghana, I needed to apply at Hamburg Consulate, had to present my return flight ticket, Health Insurance cover, Invitation Letter from my partner in Accra, a record of financial means to cover my stay and a proof of injection against Yellow Fever. I was asked to pay Euros 50 for a three months visa.

To top the disgrace and shameful behavior of Ghana Immigration office, anyone, including Germans, staying in Ghana for more than 90 days, have to pay for a Residence permit depending on the length of stay plus Ghana Non-Citizen Card (USD 120, renewable each year).

Germany is helping Ghana each year with Millions of Euros in Donor funding be it as the German State or given by various German NGOs and individuals. Representatives of NGOs funding and running schools, hospitals, orphanages to push the Agenda of Ghana to reach a higher level in social interventions have to pay for their stay the same way a German having set up a company to employ few or hundreds of Ghanaians for them to have a good income.

Donor Money from the State of Germany comes from German Tax Payers money and shared with countries in need. The groups and individuals mentioned above work hard to generate their Income Tax contribution to the German State.

Without the financial and labour support of foreigners, including German citizen, Ghana`s social system would be in a poorer state than at present. To support the demand by the Ghanaians as a people to help, Germans are asked to pay Visa fees and Residence Permit fees on top of their help.

When President Nana Akuffo-Addo is welcoming German Investors in Flagstaff House, smiling into the cameras of international media houses declaring that the foreign German investment is very much welcomed and certainly will generate hundreds of good direct and indirect jobs, he has no shame to have asked the same investors before touching down in Accra for a Visa fee of Euros 50 and the German Managers handling the investment on the ground each year to pay fees for their Residence Permit and Ghana Non-Citizen Card.

How more shameful and disgraceful can it get to insult the helping hand of us Germans that want to see Ghana being a better country for all Ghanaians. Australia offers Investors after 3 years the Australian Citizenship, a German having lived for more than this period in Ghana married to a Ghanaian National still has to go for a Residence Permit and Ghana Non-Citizen Card.

No wonder that I honour Rwanda so much for their treatment of us German Nationals!