Obama tells why he came to Ghana

President Barack Obama told Ghana’s Parliament why he chose to visit the country as the first African-American President of the United States of America.

Expressing gratitude for the overwhelming reception he was given, he said Ghana’s history is rich and the ties between the two countries are strong “and I am proud that this is my first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as President of the United States of America.”

“I am speaking to you at the end of a long trip. I began in Russia for a summit between two great powers. I travelled to Italy for a meeting of the world’s leading economies. But I have come here to Ghana for a simple reason. The 21st Century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome, or Moscow or Washington but by what happens in Accra as well.”

President Obama emphasised the importance of the connections between nations and peoples of the world, saying “your prosperity can expand America’s prosperity; your health and security can contribute to the world’s health and security and the strength of your democracy can help advance human rights for people everywhere, so I do not see the countries and peoples of Africa as a world apart. I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world.”

He said he sees African countries “as partners with America on behalf of the future we want for all of our children. That partnership must be grounded in mutual responsibility and mutual respect.”

President Obama praised Ghana’s political leaders for the “wonderful institutions that they have built in Ghana.”

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi