GHANAIANS IN BELGIUM CELEBRATE GHANA’S INDEPENDENCE GOLDEN JUBILEE ANNIVERSARY WITH THE “DANCING PROPHET”

The National Federation of Ghanaians (GHANABA) and Ghanaian Associations in Belgium in collaboration with the Ghana Embassy in Brussels have drawn a year long programme to celebrate Ghana’s Golden Jubilee anniversary in Belgium.

Activities lined up to usher in the celebrations include Moslem prayers on Saturday 2nd March at a mosque in Antwerp and a Non-denominational Church service on Sunday 4th March, 2007 at Church of God, Rue Nouvelle Jerusalem in Brussels. The Moslem prayers and the Church service will be collectively officiated by Ghanaian Moslem Imams and Reverend Ministers in Belgium respectively. In attendance will be H.E Nana Bema Kumi, Ghana’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the European Union, members of the diplomatic corps, the Ghanaian community and their leaders including the President of GHANABA, Mr. Kwaku Acheampong who would use the occasion to call for unity among Ghanaians in Belgium.

A reception will be organised by the Ghana Embassy on 6th March, 2007, for a broad spectrum of diplomats, host authorities, Ghanaians as well as other African communities in Belgium and Luxembourg at the famous Palais des Colonies, Royal African Museum in Tervuren near Brussels. It would be organised against a cultural background involving Ghanaian traditional chiefs and cultural troupes.

An Independence Day musical and cultural bash will be held on 10th march, 2007 in the harbour city of Antwerp featuring the Gospel Musician “Dancing Prophet” Seth Frimpong supported by the Heaven and Earth Band from Brussels/Antwerp who will be playing nostalgic Ghanaian highlife music. There will be poetry recitals, traditional dance performances and a quiz on Ghana’s Independence and the life of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah with a set of ‘Home Cinema’ as prize for the winner. The climax of the evening programme will be the crowning of Miss Ghana @ 50.

A joint lecture by a visiting prominent Ghanaian citizen and a Belgian professor in African Studies on ‘Significance of Ghana’s Independence to the rest of Africa’ will be held in April, 2007. A trade promotion cum Ghanaian fashion show and display of Ghanaian dishes will be held on Republic Day, 1st July, 2007. The event would be preceded by a workshop for children in the communities in Belgium and Luxembourg. A ball will be held in December, 2007 featuring hip-life artistes and cultural troupes to round off the activities of the jubilee year.