The government conferred Ghanaian citizenship on 155 members of the African diaspora at a colourful ceremony in Accra yesterday after the completion of the required application and vetting process.
Waving miniature Ghana flags, and dressed in a mix of traditional and formal attire, the new citizens beamed with excitement as they took the Oath of Allegiance administered by a Circuit Court Judge, Annette Sophia Essel, formally pledging loyalty to the republic.
The event, which was held at the Accra International Conference Centre, also featured the presentation of certificates of citizenship to the new Ghanaians by the Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, assisted by some government officials, with ministers of state, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of the diaspora community in attendance.
It marked another step in the country’s efforts to deepen engagement with people of African descent around the world and strengthen ties between the country and the global African diaspora.
Vice-President Opoku-Agyemang said the conferment of Ghanaian citizenship on members of the diaspora was more than a routine legal process, describing it as a powerful declaration of identity, history and belonging.
She said the ceremony symbolised the enduring connection between Africa and its descendants across the world, adding that history might scatter a people across continents but could not erase their identity or sever their ancestral bonds.
“The history of the transatlantic slave trade remains one of the darkest chapters in human civilisation.
Ghana has, therefore, taken a principled position that the Transatlantic Slave Trade must be formally recognised by the international community as one of the gravest crimes against humanity,” Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said.
“Our government is leading efforts at the United Nations to secure that recognition, not as an act of symbolism, but as a commitment to truth, remembrance, justice and restoration for peoples of African descent everywhere,” she added.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang further emphasised that the conferment of citizenship on the people of the diaspora stood as a statement that the country recognised and welcomed the descendants of Africans whose lives were disrupted by the transatlantic slave trade.
She added that it represented an act of historical restoration and moral reconnection.
She said the ceremony reaffirmed that the country remained a home for the global African family, and emphasised that granting citizenship was not simply about nationality but about acknowledging a shared heritage and affirming that the ties between Africa and its diaspora remained permanent and meaningful.
The Vice-President said the African diaspora represented one of the greatest reservoirs of talent, knowledge, innovation and economic strength available to the continent.
She indicated that diaspora communities contributed billions of dollars annually to African economies through remittances, investments, entrepreneurship and philanthropy.
These contributions, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said, sustained families, built communities and expanded opportunities for development.
She, however, stressed that the country’s engagement with the diaspora was not driven solely by economic considerations.
She said the government believed that the relationship between Africa and its diaspora must be rooted in identity, belonging and shared destiny.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang explained that the administration was strengthening a comprehensive Diaspora Engagement Policy aimed at transforming historical connections into practical partnerships, adding that it would create pathways for diaspora investment, support entrepreneurship and encourage collaboration in education, innovation, tourism and national development for shared prosperity.
Significance
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, said the ceremony marked the completion of a legal and administrative process through which individuals with strong ties to the country had formally acquired citizenship.
He said the Ministry for the Interior and its partner institutions were committed to ensuring that the acquisition of citizenship remained transparent, credible and consistent with Ghana’s laws.
The conferment, the minister explained, granted new citizens the rights and protections guaranteed under Ghanaian law while also entrusting them with the responsibilities that came with citizenship.
He described the diaspora as the country’s 17th region and Africa’s sixth region, stressing that its expertise, investments, innovation and cultural connections were vital to national development and international engagement.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak also enumerated initiatives such as PANAFEST, the Joseph Project, Year of Return and Beyond the Return, saying the country was strengthening structured partnerships with the diaspora through policies such as the Diaspora Birthright Certificate framework.
“The global community acknowledges slavery as a crime against humanity. Ghana is, therefore, proud to play a leading role in reconnecting Africa with its global family, demonstrating that citizenship can serve not only as a legal status but also as a bridge linking history, identity and a shared future,” he added.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh