Gizelle Yazji’s ‘Strange Visa Story’

AS TOLD ON ‘RADIO GOLD’S’ ALHAJI & ALHAJI PROGRAMME – Saturday, August 6, 2005 …Transcript Published In The Crusading GUIDE, August 9-15, 2005 – Page 4

*ALHAJI BATURE (AB): …Hold it there, Mr. Kojo Smith, I have somebody on the line I have to talk to, Hello, Good Morning, Madam.

*GIZELLE YAZJI (GY): Morning.

*AB: Is that Madam Gizelle Yazji?

*GY: Hello? Yes, Good Morning.

*AB: Yeah, Good Morning, what is the latest about your trip to Ghana?

*GY: Excuse me, you can repeat the last question?

*AB: I say what is the latest plan about your trip to Ghana. Are you coming?

*GY: Oh, I would like to come, I have everything ready but we received yesterday, my office received a call about 10.30 or 11 O’clock in the morning, somebody from uh, who identified himself as from the Consulate of Ghana telling us that MY VISA HAS BEEN CANCELLED TO GHANA.

*AB: That your visa to Ghana has been cancelled?

*GY: Yes, we confirmed…, we called again, I told my assistant to call again the number from where we received the call, and in fact, it was the Embassy number.

*AB: Ok, so in effect it means you are not coming to Ghana?

*GY: I am going, it doesn’t matter if I can’t enter, I will stay in the stairs of British Airways, talk to you guys and return in the same flight later without touching the soil of Ghana. I know nobody is going to stop us.

*AB: So you are definitely coming to Ghana?

*GY: Oh, I am going. You know this is a matter that is going on, I think that people shouldn’t accept all these issues. First of all, I wasn’t a liar, I wasn’t a blackmailer. And they have seen all these days that everything that people who are talking on behalf of “the Kufuors” was lying. And I didn’t lie because every fact has been corroborated by everybody. And they have said that, yes, they have partners, they don’t have partners, the Bank is the partner, the Bank is not the partner, you know, and that after Ms. Bossman has requested my presence. Even she said at her interview which they asked her if she can subpoena me and she said “I cannot subpoena her because she is not living in Ghana”. It does mean that if I had been living in Ghana she would subpoena me. But when I said I am going, and which I requested the ticket, it wasn’t because I need her to pay my ticket. But it was because of responsibility. When somebody pays for a ticket, it does mean that he is responsible for the person in the country. And she said that she doesn’t …when she asked for my …I didn’t invite myself? She said I am a key witness. But I knew she said it because she was 100 per cent assured that I am not going. Uh, even I was talking to Mr. Daniel Batidam from Ghana, and also I think he is in the United States now, and he agrees with whatever I have said. And we have been talking for a long time. And it was really weird that after I said that I am going Ms. Bossman say that I am not needed. When I said I am going and I am going to pay my ticket, they cancel my visa and the President is willing to talk on Tuesday. Really if you see all the facts, I think you don’t even need documents, it shows that they are guilty. Because nobody is going to do all these things without reason. This woman, Ms. Bossman, why didn’t she answer after I said I am going to pay my ticket? She doesn’t have anything to say. She lied and the President said he is going to talk on Tuesday. But I don’t know how he is going to say to the journalists when he just ordered to cancel my visa. And it doesn’t matter. If I take an airplane and go and stay at the stairs of British Airways I am sure today they will send a fax to British Airways not to let me board the plane. (Laughter from Alhaji Bature). You know, they will do anything but it doesn’t matter. I will do everything also to please the people of Ghana. I will do everything even if I die.

*AB: Madam, have you reported this latest incident to the President?

*GY: I am not talking with the President. I am reporting everything to the President through you, through the media.

*AB: I see. So you still insist you are coming to Ghana?

*GY: I am not talking with the President. If I would ……. to the President I wouldn’t be…… Hello?

*AB: When are you coming, Madam?

*GY: Uh…you would know. (Laughter from Yazji ……. Let me have this week to fix my trip because now I don’t have visa (Laughter from both Bature and Yazji). But I will be in Ghana in the next 8 days. God willing.

*AB: God willing? So have you petitioned the Embassy in America, in Washington?

*GY: No, we tried to call the Embassy yesterday, the Consulate, and nobody answered, I don’t understand it, they closed or they are…or is for security or I don’t know why. Because not even the Embassy has answered because we have been calling the Consulate and the Embassy.

*AB: I see.

*GY: And you know, this is really strange. I don’t know it is from Ghana they could have called the Embassy and they have better chance than me to talk to them?

*AB: Now, Madam, if I may ask, Hello, Hello, Madam? (the line went dead). Well, that was Madam Gizelle Yazji speaking from far away America. AND SHE HAS CONFIRMED THE RUMOURS OR THE NEWS MAKING ROUND THAT HER VISA TO GHANA HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

*Credit: Excerpts of Transcript of Recording of Alhaji & Alhaji Programme on Radio Gold, August 6, 2005)