Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Motley, pays 3-day visit to Ghana

The Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Motley, has paid a 3-day working visit to Ghana.

Her visit to the country, was at the instance of His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, following his visit to the Republic of Barbados in June this year.

The Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Motley is also the Leader of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) who also doubles as the Member of Parliament for the Constituency of Saint Michael North East, since 1994. She said that her visit to the country stemmed from the historical links the people of Barbados, have with Ghana and Africa in general.

According to Mia Motley, her visit to Ghana also formed part of the Year of Return flagship event organized by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), which is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, (MoTAC).

The Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Motley made this remarks on Monday, the 11th of November, 2019, when she paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of the Ogua Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwesi- V, in Cape Coast, in the Central Region.

The Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi(MP), who led Mia Motley's entourage to the Palace of Osabarima Kwesi Atta V, entreated the Barbadians to take interest in their ancestral root in helping Ghana and the rest of Africa to advance their Socio-Cultural and economic development.

Hon. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi (MP), said that H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo's call to the global African family, in the Year of Return, was as a result of his unwavering commitment to re-unite diasporas to their motherland and to also help contribute to the development of African course.

Hon. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi (MP), emphasized that the Prime Minister of Barbados, together with her delegation, were in the country to trace their African root which forms part of the "Year of Return" programme organised by her Ministry.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) Mr. Akwasi Agyemang, introduced the delegation to Osabarima's Palace, and indicated that the rational behind the august visitor into the region was to visit the Cape Coast Castle and also perform a burial ceremony of the remains of the unknown slave of the people of Barbados, at Assin Manso.

On his part, Osabarima Kwesi Atta V, used the rare privilege to commend H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo for his sterling leadership in initiating the "Year of Return" programme.

This according to him, is an initiative to woo Africans in the diaspora community across the world, to come back to help develop the African continent.

Subsequently, the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Motley, together with her delegation, after touring the Cape Coast Castle, expressed her emotional feelings about the inhumane treatment perpetuated during the slavery.

According to her, it should serve as an end to inhumane treatment to mankind anywhere in the world.

She later visited Assin Manso, where a Grand Durbar was held by the Chiefs and People of the Area, in her Honour for an interment ceremony of the remnant of some Barbados, at Assin Manso and also took time off to visit the Slave river site, where she had a feel of touch of the river with her accompanied Barbados delegation.

At a Durbar in Assin Manso, the Chief Executive Officer of the GTA, Mr. Akwesi Agyemang, also stressed that the ceremony was a significant one, considering that it was going to witness the burial of the remains of the unknown slave to be interred at Assin Manso.

On her part, Mia Motley further expressed her gratitude to the people of Ghana for the warm courtesies extended to her and her delegation who are historically connected to the African continent.

She said their presence in Ghana was because of their determination to help contribute to the development of Africa.

She thus urged the Government of Ghana, under H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo to continue to give priority attention in the area of Ghana's educational Sector.

On his part, the Acting Paramount Chief of Assin Apimanim Traditional Area, Nana Ohemeng Awere V, used the occasion to appeal to the Barbados community to help develop Ghana.

As part of her Working visit to the country, Mia Motley, later Visited the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, and also had business engagement with the Ghanaian business community at the Kempinski, Gold Coast City Hotel.

She later called on H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, at the Jubilee House of which Ghana and Barbados entered into some bilateral agreements between the two countries.

The Agreements were in the area of Tourism Development, Energy Sector, Maritime industry, and the Health Sector.

The Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Motley, would also be the special Guest of Honour, today, on the 16th of November, 2019, at this year's Damba festival in Yendi, at the Gbewa Palace.