Accra (Greater Accra) 12 March ?99

Members of Parliament from both the majority and minority sides on Thursday commended President Jerry John Rawlings on his recent state visit to America.

The five-day visit, from Tuesday, February 23, to Saturday, February 27, at the invitation of President Bill Clinton, was reciprocal to the one he made to

Ghana last year as part of a six-nation African tour.

In a statement to Parliament on the visit, Mr Kofi Attor, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament for Ho Central, said the President, his wife, and the 14-member delegation were treated to a memorable welcome ceremony on the lawns of the White House.

This type of welcome is reserved for treasured visitors to the United States, and President Rawlings is the second, African head of state after President

Nelson Mandela of South Africa, to be accorded it in the past 10 years.

Mr Attor recounted the series of important meetings held in President Rawlings' honour and said at those forums, the President was consistent with his message to the American establishments and people.

The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee said it is gratifying to note that President Rawlings chose not to speak for Ghana, but to play the role of a spokesman for Africa.

"One thing that has come out clearly from this visit is that Africa has a credible, sincere and acceptable spokesman in the person of the President of the Republic of Ghana."

Mr Attor stated that not only did President Rawlings voice out the frustrations of Africa and the feeling of abandonment by the Western World, but he also called on the U.S. to do more to alleviate poverty, hunger and starvation on the continent.

He said the President delivered his messages with such passion and conviction that he made a lot of positive impressions on the various groups of people who listened to him at various times during the tour.

Mr Attor described the visit as "an overwhelming success in all respects". He pointed out that "this success cannot be determined by the quantum of dollars signed in bilateral agreements, but in the opportunities that this visit has created for Ghana both in the state and private sectors of our economy".

He urged the President to continue with "this arduous task of advocacy for Africa", and was optimistic that with the support of other credible African leaders, the continent's case would be made and "Africa's time will come sooner than later."

The committee chairman charged officials tasked to do follow-ups to the various meetings and agreements, to take their assignments seriously.

Mr Attor thanked the American President, the American Embassy in Ghana, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ghana and all others whose "immense contributions made the visit possible and highly successful".

Dr Kwabena Adjei, Majority Leader, urged Ghanaians to present Ghana in a positive light and appealed to them to refrain from putting negative information about Ghana on the Internet.

Nana Akufo-Addo, NPP-Abuakwa, stressed the need for Ghanaians to guard against their hard-won independence, see to the entrenchment of the rule of law, and defend the fundamental human rights of the ordinary citizens of this

country.

Mr George Buadi, NDC-Amenfi East, compared President Rawlings to Ghana's first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah of blessed memory.

He said the two leaders conceived the idea that Ghana's problems could not be solved in isolation from those of the entire African continent.

Mr Thomas Kwame Yeboah, NDC-Dormaa West, urged African Mr Thomas Kwame Yeboah, NDC-Dormaa West, urged African nations engaged in conflicts to re-consider their stance and strive to bring peace into their respective countries to merit such invitations.

Mr Fuzzy Dapaah Torbay, NDC-Okere, stated that the invitation to the President re-affirms America's "tremendous" trust and confidence in Ghana.

Mrs Grace Coleman, NPP-Effiduase Asokore, stressed the need to ensure that the nation's economy is well structured to remove all barriers that hinder "our development and progress".

Mrs Coleman reminded Ghanaians that we could only nurture Ghana's young democracy if we tolerate divergent shades of views and opinions.

Other members who supported the statement included Mr Kosi Kedem, NDC-Hohoe

South, Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh, NPP-Nsuta Kwamang, Mr Evans Kodjo Ahorsey,

NDC-Ayensuano and Mr Charles Omar Nyanor, NPP-Upper Denkyira.