... Ambassador Agyei-Amoama meets Ghanaians to celebrate

Songs, speeches, traditional costume and dances characterized celebration of Ghana’s 51years of Independence by Ghanaians in Italy.

It’s remarkably interesting how Ghanaians in Italy respond in their numbers, travelling long distances, to be part of a national cause and this celebration held in Schio, Vicenza at Theatre Pasubio was not an exception.

The events that commemorated Ghana’s Golden Jubilee last year hosted across the country by this community has its records in their history books for the extraordinary manner it was celebrated and this celebration marking 51years was another of its own but the striking similarities are, the distinctive nature of the Ghanaian patriotism and colorful display of their culture was in full glow.

The celebration in Vicenza was jointly hosted by the Council of Ghanaian Nationals Association in Italy (COGNAI) and the Ghana Embassy in Rome and special guest, His Excellency Charles Agyei-Amoama (Ghana Ambassador to Italy) accompanied by his wife and two top diplomatic staff of the Embassy - Hon. Bartels-Kodwo (Minister Consular) and Hon. Aikins Abrokwa (Minister for Trade & Investment) really graced the occasion with their presence.

Pastor Owusu Ansah of the Unity Pentecostal Church in Schio ushered participants into the arms of God with prayer and worship for the commencement of the day’s program, then came Followers of Christ International Church (FOCIC) Choir who went on stage to sing some soul inspiring and patriotic songs. Ghana’s new sensation in gospel music, Psalmpong, also gave an awesome performance thrilling with a couple of songs from his new album.

The President of COGNAI, Omari Somuah, in a brief statement called on Ghanaians in Italy to continue to strengthen their unity and bonds of friendship across the various cities and regions in the country. He told the audience, including Italians and other nationals, that COGNAI spent over €5,000 to rent halls, auditoriums and other places for the Ghana@50 events last year and due to the expensive costs involved, the Ghana Association in Vicenza is on course to buy a property to host its activities. This he said would be called ‘Ghana Cultural Centre’, located in a spacious out of town area and can host great number of people. He called on other Ghanaian Associations in Italy to consider buying such properties which will reduce cost on their activities expenditure and help to project the image of Ghana abroad. Somuah also informed the participants the community of Ghanaians in Vicenza now have a radio station, ‘Gye Nyame Radio’, which is already hitting the air waves through satellite to the rest of the world.

Ambassador Agyei-Amoama, spotting a Ghanaian traditional smock-‘batakari’-(incidentally all three of the dilpomatic staff were in Ghanaian smock) gave the key note address saying Ghanaians in Italy has a role to play in achieving the ultimate goal of Ghana. “Let me urge each and everyone of us to work diligently, mindful of the task ahead to contribute our quota towards national development,” he stated.

The Ghana Ambassador to Italy also appealed to Ghanaians in Italy to donate generously into a set up Ghanaians’ Welfare Fund in Italy which was launched in Rome on December 8, 2007 during the Charity Ball to celebrate Ghana’s Golden Jubilee. He said a seed money has been generated and the revenue from the Fund would be used in assisting Ghanaians in Italy who owing to circumstances beyond their control have found themselves to be destitute in the country. “It will also be used for development projects in deprived areas in Ghana”, he added.

Giving more insight of the Fund, His Excellency explained that it will be administered by a Body to be known as, ‘Board of Trustees’, with himself as the President of the Board and other members will be the Consular Minister of the Ghana Embassy in Rome, Representative of COGNAI and a Representative of the Ghanaian Community Churches in Italy. The special guest of honor in his speech also asked Ghanaians in Italy to emulate the example of Ghanacoop - a business entity established from the Ghana Association in Modena - to set up businesses through joint ventures. “Let us tab into the small scale industry experience which Italians are noted for to set up similar businesses back home in Ghana. We need as a matter of urgency to move on and not to be satisfied with the daily wages that we receive here in Italy. The Ghana Embassy in Rome is ever ready to assist Ghanaians in this regards”, he added.

Ambassador Agyei-Amoama briefly spoke on the Ghana election coming on in December 2008 and said though Ghanaians abroad would not be able to vote , owing to logistical constraints of the Electoral Commission in Ghana, their constructive contributions and monitoring of events as well as shaping opinions back home should be utmost importance. “I am therefore calling on all Ghanaians and friends of Ghana to pray and support Ghana for a fruitful and peaceful election,” the Ghanaian Honorable Statesman remarked in his concluding statements.

Earlier before the Ambassador came on to deliver his speech, Agyenim Boateng, the man who knows Ghana’s history back and front dating as far back over 2,000 years poured some words of appellation to honor him. He then took the audience deep down the memory lane with precise dates and names on Ghana’s history long before and after Independence.

The President of Ghanacoop, Thomas McCarthy, also addressed the audience on the efforts and achievements of the organization. He said Ghanacoop is importing fruits from Ghana - pineapple, papaye, mangoes and coconuts - to Italy which is being sold in some supermarkets. “We are also doing community projects in Ghana helping with pipe-bore holes to provide water for some villages and also get them electricity. We recently inaugurated a Health Centre at Apam in the Central Region of Ghana through partnership with some Banks and Co-operative bodies in Italy.

The Ablade Cultural Troupe, based in Vicenza, performed on stage in a typical Ghanaian folk music for the ‘Kpanlogo’ dance, noted for the people from the Greater Accra Region in Ghana and when some natives from the region (Gas) joined them on stage it became more exciting, worth recording for the records. The Chiefs, Queenmothers and their entourage from the Ghanaian communities in Arzigano in Vicenza and Udine who were present also gave more color to the event with their traditional regalia and they exhilarated the audience displaying the Ghanaian culture with some ‘kete’ and ‘adowa’ dance.