Minister of State at the office of the presidency, Catherine Ablema Afeku has made a passionate appeal to Ghanaians in the diaspora to return to their homeland.
Delivering a speech at this year’s Ghana Diaspora and Homecoming Summit held at the Accra International Conference Center, she stated that, “All the deliberations we have had this past three days is to solidify our base that you have a home. Returning now is no longer a cementable and difficult event. You can use your experience to encourage the rest who are still out there to know that there’s a home called Ghana”.
According to her, the hustle Ghanaians living abroad go through to come back to the country is being resolved, adding that, measures are also being put in place to ensure there’s free flow of movement for them.
Her comments come as a back up to what President Akufo-Addo said during the opening ceremony of the Diaspora Summit.
The President hinted that there are plans by government to soon place before Parliament a bill that would allow Ghanaians with dual citizenship to hold public office.
She further stated that President Akufo-Addo’s promise will soon become a reality because, he has diasporans at heart.
However, called on them to invest their skills and money into the development of the country.
She said, “let me take this opportunity to call on you, those of you gathered here, home and abroad to look back home, to look to Ghana to invest your skills, your network and your finance in the innovation center and businesses that has to do with tourism, arts,…”
The Year of Return, a three-day event is to commemorate and cement Ghana’s pan African legacy over the past 400 years.
It also aimed at bringing together people from all walks of life, create a platform for engagement and celebrate the resilience of African heritage.