The Lone Ranger in Sierra Leone

(Ghana Palaver) -- It has turned out that President J.A. Kufuor of Ghana was the only lone-ranger, as Head of State, among the group of foreign dignitaries, invited to witness the burning of huge piles of guns and other offensive weapons to mark the end of civil war in Sierra Leone.

Although almost all African Heads of State were invited to witness the ceremony, none considered the bon-fire ceremony, so important as to make their personal presence necessary. So, in their wisdom, the African leaders either sent their ministers or merely wired messages of good-will and congratulations to the Sierra Leoneans.

But, the travel-happy President of Ghana thought otherwise. And the result was embarrassing. He had to share honours with other Foreign Ministers, while his own Foreign Minister, Mr Hackman Owusu Agyemang and Information Minister, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey were relegated to the back-ground, carrying brief cases. It serves them right.