Obama in Ghana

Obama was indeed in Ghana this weekend for 21 hours. He arrived on Friday evening and left Saturday at 5pm in the afternoon. Ghana was bristling with excitement over his visit. Billboards went up with Obama's picture: some with his family, some with him and Atta Mills, Ghana's president, and some with Obama and his wife.


Flags lined Independence Avenue: Ghanaian flags alternating with United States flags.One waiter in our Chinese Restaurant we frequent told us weeks ago that he was so excited and he hoped to meet Obama. We did not want to dash his hopes so we said nothing. Independence Avenue where we work and live was closed down Friday at 4pm or so they said - so everyone left work early. The roads were gridlock. I never did see Obama come into town even though I kept looking out the window, but Saturday afternoon I saw his motorcade go racing by. He had had a meeting in Osu Castle that morning and I'm told thousands lined the streets to get a glimpse of him. My quick glimpse came on his way back from those meetings. I also heard the helicopter that took him to Cape Coast - but I never saw it.

Emmanual, a ten year old, came and sat next to me in church today. During the Sacrament he was pretty fidgety so I gave him a piece of paper and a pen to draw with. His head was not dreaming of Jesus, but of Obama. Emmanuel was in Osu yesterday when the presidential motorcade went by. I have to say that Emmanual caught the picture better than any photograph I could have taken....except that there were multiple vans behind the presidential limo and police cars with flashing lights. He has Obama in his limousine,Obama's house,Air Force 1 with the red carpet laid out. An older boy drew the picture of Obama in the left corner - I thought it was pretty good!

What Obama had to say was right on target but not what most Ghanaians or Africans wanted to hear. They would rather have heard commitments of more money invested in Ghana. But Obama is correct that investments in Africa or Ghana specifically will not be forthcoming until governments eliminate corruption, bribery and brutality. Bribery is a way of life here - If you want a job you generally have to pay a bride to the interviewer. Government skims 20% off the top of business revenues. The need for the government to control its resources and have a society where laws are enforced and people are protected by the police is necessary. Tribalism must be done away. Monies are given to tribal leaders to help develop farming and sometimes never reach the farms. Health issues must be addressed. This is where America poured in some monies. Polio, malaria, and typhoid are all common problems in Africa. Violence must be eradicated: Kidnappings and robbery are common. Governments need to invest in infrastructure. Water, roads, electricity: all are still in short supply.

I rarely agree with Pres. Obama on issues at home, but I believe he said the right things here in Africa. Not much time was spent. A trip to Cape Coast gave his children an education on the slave trade of the 1800's. Though their time was short it was the one thing the Obama family did - tour the Cape Coast slave castle- a 1 hour tour which they did in half the time. I wondered if it was mentioned that the Africans were rounding up their own people (of course from other tribes) to take to the slave traders. The Portuguese, Dutch, and English paid them for this service - but all were involved - that was an eye-opener to me. It was a terrible time of history where people were treated as objects rather than children of God.

Ghana is a leader in Africa in establishing a democratic government. It has recently made discoveries of oil, a resource that could bring great wealth to Ghana, but could also bring corruption and unrest if its people and government are not strong. President Obama reminded them of the destiny that can be theirs if they rise above the temptations of bribes and corruption and can enforce peace.