Good afternoon. Distinguished guests, Friends of Ghana/Africa, our brothers/sisters of the Diaspora and fellow Ghanaians, we are delighted to provide the welcome remarks for our meeting this afternoon with President John Mahama and his entourage from home, Ghana. As Ghanaians we are well known for our hospitality. We stress that we are here on behalf of all Ghanaians especially and our brothers and sisters who are not present at this gathering because in some instances work schedules and the toils of life make it impossible for them to be here.

This is an opportunity for us to show our guests including the President of Ghana our hospitality and show that we have not forgotten how to welcome our brethren from home even when we are so far away from home. Thus, from the youngest to the oldest, we extend a warm welcome on behalf of all Ghanaians in Massachusetts to the President and all those who are here with him today for what is planned to be a very notable and worthwhile meeting of the President and Ghanaians.

This gathering is historic: It is the first time a sitting President of Ghana has come to Worcester. This visit shows how much Ghana values its nationals resident in Massachusetts and also how much Ghanaians in this region do for our country, Ghana. We might add this gathering is testament to the good conduct and behavior of Ghanaians here in particular. You will agree that the President would not travel to Worcester if the Ghanaian community were not doing well and contributing to the well- being of people back home. Ghanaians in and outside this gathering have been donating furniture books/computers to public schools, universities and libraries and building public libraries; equipment including x’ray machines and supplies to hospitals and as pharmacists, nurses, doctors, teachers and professors donated services at times at their own cost. Some Ghanaians here pay duties for the items they send to Ghana at Tema port.

The President and his team here today also represent the nice relations between Ghana, the Black Star of Africa and the US. Not too far from here, at Great Barrington, Mass is the hometown of one of the world’s foremost pan-Africanist pioneers-- Dr.W. E. B. Dubois. He moved to Ghana to support our independence, died and his mortal remains are still in Ghana. This is one of several reminders of the Ghana- Massachusetts/US connections.

There is abundant proof of Ghana’s excellent relations with the US and the State of Massachusetts. As we know, US President Obama’s first trip to Africa was to Ghana in 2009 and former President Jerry John Rawlings has visited Boston and Worcester and former President John Kuffour had also visited Boston. In addition, different Ghanaian ambassadors and Senior Diplomats have visited Boston and Worcester.

Having visited Worcester as the former Vice President while running for the Presidency, the late President Mills was warmly welcomed by both members of the Ghana community and Government officials in Worcester on 18 August 2007. President Mills was awarded a key to the City of Worcester. Upon the passing of President Mills, and in sympathy with Ghana, Worcester City officials led by Mayor Joseph Petey issued a proclamation declaring 4 August of every year, “President Atta Mills’ Remembrance Day.”

Since our main objective for this gathering is providing genuine/fruitful interaction between the President and the Ghanaian community, we conclude our welcome remarks by declaring that in accordance with our very well- known tradition of Ghanaian hospitality, we all here assembled, extend to the President and his entire entourage a warm Ghanaian welcome.

We anticipate this meeting to be remarkable, one of the most noteworthy events in the lives of Ghanaians in the diaspora in the US—one in which we Ghanaians showed our pride, engaged in very thoughtful and mutually beneficial interaction, and with significant dialogue with the President and senior government officials.

Please let’s all be mindful of the need to work as a united people, joined by a common destiny and unified in our determination to make Ghana, our homeland better for not only the current, but future generations.

Thank you

Kwamina Panford, Northeastern University, Boston, MA Email: k.panford@neu.edu; 617-373-4333