Community wants to build on Ghana@50 momentum

HOPEFUL SIGNS FOR UNITY, COMMUNITY REVIVAL
Atlanta, GA - Through the staging of the Ghana@50 events in Atlanta, it appears now that Atlanta, the city’s Ghanaian community is poised for a rebound, judging from accolades from participants who attended the week-long events marking Ghana’s golden jubilee activities.

Credit is also due, to the efforts of the Ghanaian Ministers’ Association, which publicized the events to its congregations. There had been reliable grumblings that the many Ghanaian churches in the city had fractured the community and that the churches were preventing their members from patronizing community events. Judging from the turnout and enthusiasm, however, it appears now that the ministers may very well have not been properly asked.

According to Pastor Emmanuel Osei Asibey of Action Faith Church who is also Vice Secretary of the Ghana Ministers’ Association believes, “the community had been skeptical of the churches, because of the their history of non-involvement. This time around, the Ghanaian community could count on the cooperation of the churches. After all, what is the use of salt as it remains in the saltshaker?” he asked.

“Without a doubt, the Ghanaian ministers’ association will fully indeed support the community’s activities,” he said. “On the record, I can say that the ministers’ association will support all activities presented, except when they contradict the word of God.”

Pastor Asibey, nonetheless, urged: “the congregation in our various churches should realize that they themselves can effect a change and bear forth new ideas. It only takes one person to stand up and make a change for everyone else. Each and every one of us has the willpower to make a change and better our lives as people. This is a wake-up call to all of us and would like to believe that the ministers are coming together to unite with our people and their activities. The unity shown within the past week was just a foreshadowing to greater and mighty things that are to happen here in Atlanta within us as people from Ghana.

“To be honest with you, we as an association unfortunately do not have a set of agendas planned. As we look back to all the events seen, I hope we can use the portrayal of unity of the churches, the banquet and the symposium as a stepping-stone for a set of agendas.

There are hopeful signs for unity in the leadership of the community. Atlanta, unfortunately, is one of the many cities where the Ghanaian community suffers from leadership fragmentation. In these cities, there are usually two or more organizations that hold claim to representing the community. In Atlanta, for example, there is the Council of Ghanaian Associations, which is an umbrella organization of all the ethnic associations; and the Ghana Association, which is a general association of individual Ghanaians.

This fracture in many ways fragments the community and renders the leadership largely ineffective at truly representing the needs of either individuals or groups in the community. There are even occasions when the two groups hold separate Christmas parties, and until last year, separate independence celebrations. This rift has existed for years and under various Ghana Ambassadors who have attempted in vain to bridge it.

Ghana@50 is a year of jubilee and it should be a time for renewal and an opportune time to restructure the community under a united and efficient body that would move it forward.

Through the planning of Ghana@50 activities, it appears that there to be some semblance of a united front, not least in the fact that the two groups joined together to stage the hugely successful event. What’s more, the community now has a united purpose in the goal to build a facility to hold events.

Robert Andoh, Chairperson of the committee and president of the Ghana Association said the group should build on the momentum of the turnout and enthusiasm to stage more of such activities and even, going forward, unite to stage the annual Ghana Independence Day event. He also thanked the various committees and the sponsors for their help in making the event a success; and encouraged everyone to rally behind the Ghana House project.

Isaac Amihere, president of the Council of Ghanaian Associations, and Vice Chair of the planning committee, was equally thankful of the support of the community and the churches. He added that “going forward, I believe the train has already taken off and a momentum is gained under one accord,” he said.

“We have to rededicate ourselves to the service of Ghana and the youth will have to be included in our dialogue, and we all need to unite beyond tribal lines for a new Ghana. Please do not allow politics to divide us. Now a clarion call is made to all Ghanaians who are interested in the Ghana house project to be ready for action. For transparency and accountability we will invite some of you very soon to do a feasibility study, craft strategies for funds solicitation, and evaluate the accounts periodically for the Ghana house. I believe our 50th anniversary should be celebrated with a true appraisal of progress and a symbolic realization of our goal--the Ghana House,” he stated.

Reuben Darku, Director of publicity and media committee added: “We must harness this new-found zeal and enthusiasm to lay the foundation for the betterment of Ghanaians here and everywhere,” he said.

“We have the power to change our community for the better! Ghanaians, especially, those of us in the Diaspora have the capability, resources, and know how to help change Ghana for the better! We can rid Ghana off corruption, tribalism and other societal vices as well as demand good governance and accountability from our leaders so in the next 50 years we will have a better story to tell.

The Ghana’s golden jubilee program was sponsored by delta air lines, western union, MoneyGram Ebenezer Baptist church, Kroger, Office of the Mayor, Strictly Business Limousine Service, Hillside Chapel and Truth Center, Gold Star Herald, Millennium Video Productions, Peniel Solutions, Inc., and Marriott Hotel.