ULZEN APPIAH: Obama talks to AllAfrica.com about visit to Ghana, etc

I haven't followed Barack Obama much since he became the US president but ever since news broke of his impending visit to Ghana July 10-11, I've become a little more attentive. I hear he will be giving a speech at the Independence Square for which Ghanaians from all walks of lie could go see him speak. Obama is noted for great speeches and I believe we have another one coming up, after his stirring speech at the American University of Cairo earlier this year.

Recently, he sat down with journalists from AllAfrica.com to talk about his visit to Ghana. Ghana is seen as one of the shining stars on the continent and it's easy to see why it would be chosen. It is also a leader in the Pan-African movement, with events like Panafest. President Kuffour also built great ties with Bush's America and the ties will continue with Obama-Mills. Barack Obama is believed to be visiting the Central Region during his short stay in Ghana, probably touring the slave castles there and learning about some more Black history.

There's been a lot of controversy over Obama's visit to Ghana, being his first to a Sub-Saharan country. Kenya feels it should have been them, since Barack's father was Kenyan and Nigeria feels it should have gotten the nod over Ghana. Wole Soyinka mentioned that Nigeria must put its house in order before it gets paid a visit by Obama and his statement sparked a lot in Naija with some criticizing him of 'treason'. Obama mentions his reason for visiting Ghana in the first part of this interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu0AECMc5iE


When asked about why he chose to go to Ghana, he said Ghana had undergone a couple of successful elections and President Mills has shown himself committed to a rule of law. He mentions that there is a direct correlation between governance and prosperity and he wants to highlight that - an effective model as an example for the rest of Africa. Barack Obama has been a big proponent of technological tools. Africans can SMS questions to Obama to be answered on his visit using these codes: Ghana (1731), Nigeria (32969), Kenya (5683) and South Africa (31958). He also talked about the importance of cheap and efficient agricultural technologies for Africa. Some low-tech technologies are also needed to improve food production.

People are mentioning Ghana's oil find as one of the major reasons for Obama's visit. Production has been slated for this year and though the quantities won't be near what is produced in Nigeria or Libya, it will be large enough to have a significant bearing on the nation's financial assets. Some also claim Ghana is going to agree to host an African Command (a US military base) something Nigeria and South Africa don't want to do, and the reason why these countries were bypassed for Ghana. They sound like conspiracy theories.

The second part of the Obama interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt2MucAPeHw


He harped on stability a lot in his interview; following models that work for a period of time as well as preaching stability. Concerning his legacy for Africa, he would like to see the United States as an effective partner for African countries and built political, civil and economic institutions that allowed for improved living conditions and greater security. I loved when he mentioned that Africans could stay in their countries and succeed. If you're following trends these days, it is becoming increasingly easy to succeed in Ghana and Africa.

It's exciting to see Obama choose to visit Ghana, but how will we measure the success of his visit? Cape Coast is seeing a facelift for his arrival, but will it see the kind of development it deserves afterwards? Would this visit increase investment in Ghanaian enterprises back home? There are many questions to answer and it sounds like a topic for a breakout session at BarCamp Diaspora.

In the spirit of Obama's visit to Ghana, if you will be around DC July 25th, you should try and attend BarCamp Diaspora. It will be a day's event of dialogue, discussions and demos about a rising Ghana, organized at Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies. If you have any interest in Ghana or Africa for that matter, and want to share ideas, network, learn about opportunities in Ghana or some of the businesses and projects out there, this is an event for you.

SIKANKU: It’s a mixed bag: fervor, indifference as Oba-macy takes on the world

This will be Obama's first visit to Sub-Saharan Africa since his transcendent election last fall

By Etse Sikanku
Published: July 3, 2009

For the first time in the post-modern era, a definitive consensus on American exceptionalism is emerging. But even more unpredictable was the rise of a black man as history’s harbinger.

So it is not surprising that Obama’s planned visit to Africa has generated interest globally and particularly in Ghana where I’ve now lost count of the stream of daily commentaries on this matter. This sounds like a good time to see whether Barack's foreign policy brand-Obamacy- will significantly change American diplomacy. That is,the idea of using dialogue including talking to state enemies instead of ignoring them.

Since foreign policy experts have already made mince meat of this subject, I headed to the streets of Iowa to find out what people in the United States think about Obama’s first presidential visit to sub-Saharan Africa.

Prince Eddie Etsey a Ghanaian resident in Iowa and an IT Service Delivery and Operations Manager captures the mood of most Ghanaians abroad when he says “It just shows how AWESOME Ghana is.”

According to Charles Abbott, from Rochester, New York and a Geography PhD, “Africa has an image problem. This visit probably makes more of a difference for Africa than the US. When people in the US think about Africa, five things come to mind: famine corruption, AIDS, war and animals. So it’s good that he’s visiting Ghana which is a stable country”.

Indeed Africa’s image problem is nothing but fabled. It may be hard to believe but an African American woman I once met in Missouri told me she never visited Africa because she couldn’t bring herself to living “among trees, animals and naked people.” Ouch.

No wonder then that for some, any semblance of normalcy in an African country-something they hope Obama’s visit will portray- is seen as a step in clearing such misconceptions.

Sunday Goshit, a Nigerian native who recently earned his doctorate from the University of Iowa believes that “Ghana has every opportunity to take the lead in Africa. It’s important he visited Ghana because the country is politically stable and has conducted relatively free and fair elections. Honestly I don’t think Obama’s policy on Africa is well grounded so such a visit could serve as an eye opener.”

To be sure, not much has been heard from Obama as far as his African policy is concerned. During the campaign period he set out his agenda for Africa along three signposts: (i) accelerating Africa’s integration into the global economy, (ii) enhancing the peace and security of African states and (iii) strengthening relationships with those governments and institutions committed to deepening democracy.

Yet, if Obama’s Africa policy is scarcely nuanced, his visit may be even less obvious to others. “Is he really?” “I didn’t know about that”, “I’m not interested in that” are some of the responses I got when I asked some Americans about Barack’s visit. In fact one African American lady coldly told me straight in the face “I don’t care”. But I was a bit taken aback when another quickly jumped in asking “G-h-a-n-a-a?…where’s that?”

Interestingly too, not all Ghanaians abroad are completely sold on Obama’s presidency “I am a Christian before I’m black” said Kwame Nyarko a graduate student who says he is not as excited about America’s first black president because some of Obama’s policies run counter to his Christian beliefs. Maxine Channel Sencherey a nursing student originally from Ghana says Obama is paying peripheral attention to the country by making such a whistle stop “Why the rush when he has four more years?” she asks.

Nonetheless, not everyone is as miffed either. “I believe it’s a good thing he’s visiting because America has to reach out to the rest of the world”. And for conservatives who believe this is just another opportunity for the Obama’s to rack up their frequent flyer miles, another Iowa native who works as a security guard at the Old Capitol Mall says “who cares what the Republicans think? Obama needs to do something in places like Africa where there’s genocide going on”

Surely, the international political system is in constant flux. Alliances and adversaries are being recalibrated. Not only is a controversial war on terror being waged but the threat of a nuclear arms race looms large. Combined with a declining global economy and an increasing divide between the haves and have-nots, the international system is changing in ways never before imagined. Even America-with its slave history-has voted for its first black president.

What does Obama’s election and Africa visit mean for both the continent and America?

This will continue to be a hotly debated issue. Sadly, the question some Ghanaians are asking is this; “what can we squeeze from Obama”? Instead, what we should be asking is “What can we squeeze from ourselves?”

Actually, if historical precedent is anything to go by then we do not have to look far for answers. Three things: national interest, national interest, and national interest.

Obama maybe an unabashed realist and a brazen pragmatist but American foreign policy has hardly been a blank slate.