Ghanaians are Trail Blazers of Africa - Danso-Boafo

By Sandow Seidu Kpebu, London

The Ghana High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo, has stated that Ghanaians are the trail blazers of Africa and therefore must be proud of that achievements. He made this remark, when the Consitution Review Commission met with the Ghanaians in the UK as part of their world tour to consult them for their submissions into the recommendation for a possible ammendment of the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution, at the School of Oriental and African Studies on the 8th of April 2011.

According to him, Ghanaians are so unique in whatever they do and therefore it is no surprised that they are undertaking the historic exercise of reviewing the country's Constitution.

"To those who are a little surprised that Ghana is undertaking this exercise I want to assure you or I want to let you know that I have been saying that we are the trail blazers of Africa. Therefore whatever we do is unique."

He said upon election, the President, His Excellency John Evans Atta Mills decided we needed to take a critical look at the Constitution and has put together a very strong team led by Professor Emeritus Albert Fiadjoe to undertake such an important national exercise.

"The president upon election in his own wisdom decided that we needed to take a good look at our Constitution that has been running since 1992. And in undertaking that exercise, he did not limit himself to the geographical confines of Ghana. He felt that this able body team led by our dear brother Professor Fiadjoe including distinguish individuals, political scientist like Dr Nicholas Amponsah....have undertaken this very important exercise, they toured several parts of the world and now they are here with us in the United Kingdom. "

He called on Ghanaians in the UK to take advantage of the opportunity offered them by the Consitution Review Commission to make their submission and to express their views on the review process.

"It is indeed a great opportunity for us and let us make very good us of it. I hope that the good Lord would give us the opportunity to dialogue in harmony , respect and diginity. "

He admonished participants to make the occasion a very codial, respectable and above all an historic one, and that they should demonstrate that Ghanaians have the capacity to engage in these kinds of interactions to reach conclusions and offer recommendations.

"let this be very codial, very respectable kind of discourse, those of you who have submissions, I am sure you will be hearing from the legal counsel of the commission, let this be a very historic occasion for all of us, let us demonstrate to the world that we do have the capacity to engage in these kinds of interactions and come to the kinds of conclusions and offer the kinds of recommendations."

He thanked participants who were able to make it to the event. "I want to end it here by again thanking all of you who have taken time to come. I hope that the good Lord would give us the opportunity to dialogue in harmony , respect and diginity."

In a statement, the Chairman of Ghanaian Union, UK, Mr Kwame Adu, expressed the pleasure of the Ghanaian community in the UK for the opportunity the Constitution Review Commission has given them to make submissions and to express their views on the review process. He pledged the support of the Ghanaian community to the work of the Constitution Review Commission.

More than 300 Ghanaians in UK turned up for the consultation in London. Some travelled from Birmingham and other major cities to attend the event.