Editorial: We mourn end of Ghana’s High Commissioner in Canada

Editorial: We mourn the sudden sad end of Ghana’s High Commissioner in Canada

The Ghanaian community in Canada, the Ghanaian government and citizens at home and the diplomatic community in Canada were hit with the shocking news of the sudden death of Dr. Richard Turkson, Ghana’s High Commissioner in Canada. Dr. Turkson died from unknown cause only three days after hosting Ghana’s President John Evans Attah Mills who paid an official visit to Canada. The President left Canada on Sunday November 20, 2011 for the United States and Dr. Turkson was discovered dead by his wife on Wednesday morning November 23. He died exactly two years to the day he assumed office as Ghana’s representative in Canada, having presented his Letters of Credence to the Governor General on November 24, 2009.

While the Ghanaian-Canadian community has been shocked about the sudden death of Dr. Turkson , the High Commissioner, it is regrettable that many of our community members did not know him. The late High Commissioner did not make himself fully available and known to the Ghanaian community during his two years of duty tour of Canada. Apart from one or two short trips to some community events in Toronto, the rest of the Ghanaian communities outside of Ottawa never got to meet him. In other words, Dr. Turkson did not really reach out to the larger Ghanaian-Canadian community

Apart from their obvious diplomatic responsibility of promoting and strengthening bilateral relations between Ghana and the countries of their postings, politically-appointed diplomats also have the responsibility of reaching out to their compatriots in the diaspora. The undeniable fact which has been underscored by many Presidents, past and present of Ghana and the late High Commissioner himself is that the governments of the day including the High Commissioners regard Ghanaian citizens in the diaspora as very important development partners. Many smart countries around the world make very conscious efforts to woo their citizens in the diapora to assist in the development efforts in the home country.

The opposite, regrettably, has been the case of successive Ghanaian governments and their diplomatic representatives in the diaspora.

It is all talk, talk and talk; pretensions and hypocrisy and no action. We wish to offer our very heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Dr. Richard Turkson, the government and people of Ghana on this loss. It is particularly painful and difficult for the family of the late High Commissioner considering the fact that it was exactly a year ago that a son of the late High Commissioner, in his early thirties, also died suddenly in Ottawa.

We will, in conclusion, appeal to the government to consider seriously the idea of posting relatively younger persons to its top diplomatic positions abroad since the work is rigorous and demanding. We do not know whether that was a factor in the death of the High Commissioner but it would certainly have helped if he had spent the last few years of his life enjoying his retirement in the comfort of the warm weather in the land of our birth.

May his soul rest in perfect peace!