President Obama's visit to Ghana: A reward for democracy and good governance
THE White House's choice of Ghana for US President Obama's visit to Africa triggered envy across the continent. Kenya, where Obama's father lived and died, expected the visit of the President first. Other countries such as South Africa, Nigeria and Liberia thought that the President would visit one of those countries first, but not Ghana. The visit, Mr Obama's first to Africa since he became US President, is also being interpreted as a snub to those governments with particularly poor records of good governance, democracy and tainted elections. President Obama's July 1011 visit to Accra, Ghana has been a "historic occasion," says Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson. He says it recognises the progress Ghana has made - particularly in the area of democratization - which serves as an example to the rest of Africa. In a June 17 interview with America.gov, Carson commended Ghana for holding "a very successful presidential and parliamentary election in December 2008 and January of this year, which resulted in President John Atta Mills coming to power. Ghana, with a population of 23.8 million, has become a regional leader since its transition from military rule to a multi-party democracy in the early 1990s. Its democratic advance contrasts with a history of coups and disputed elections elsewhere in Africa. It was the fifth peaceful democratic transition of power in Ghana since the end of military rule there, but, more importantly, for all of Africa, it serves as an example of the power of democracy. It was the second time that the opposition party defeated the incumbent party, which clearly suggests that democracy has taken deep and strong root in Ghana. Ghana's economic growth has averaged more than 5 per cent since 2001, according to World Bank statistics, although the country has been hit hard by the global recession. Its poverty rate has been halved to 28 per cent in 2006 from 52 per cent in 1992. In future, Ghana might drastically reduce poverty with its yet-to-be exploited oil in the country. "It's a little bit of recognition of Ghana's progress in democratic growth, peaceful electoral turnover, especially in a region otherwise full of reversals and disappointments," said Dr. E. Gyimah-Boadi, head of the Accra-based Centre for Democratic Development. Being politically stable, Ghana stands out in a chaotic region. In recognition of Ghana's success, both in the management of its democracy in the country and the management of its economy, it has been recipient of one of the largest Millennium Challenge Account grants given by the United States - an amount in excess of $500 million. It will help to serve as a catalyst for further development of one of Africa's most important countries. The US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which administers the Millennium Challenge Account grants, is a US government corporation designed to work with some of the poorest countries in the world. It was established in January 2004, based on the principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces good governance, economic freedom and investments in people. Dr Gyimah-Boadi argues that Ghana's democratic reforms and poverty reduction go hand in hand. It confirms Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen's comment that famine does not persist in democracy. Democracy with good governance and accountability may have helped put a brake on corruption; incoming governments have been quick to expose the misdemeanours of corrupt politicians and officials. The democratic record of major African countries is poor. Nigeria, the regional oil power, has been hit by frequent militant attacks, pipeline explosions and kidnappings. It has an appalling record of organizing transparent polls. Ayisha Osori, a journalist, wrote in the Nigerian daily This Day: "It makes sense that Obama would want to go to Ghana. Because Ghana is everything we are not. Ghana is a shiny example of a West African country which has turned itself around and is doing well." Wole Soyinka, a Nobel prize-winning writer, said he would 'stone' Obama if he legitimized Nigeria by visiting. Kenya, the homeland of Obama's late father, was the site of a disputed 2007 presidential election that resulted in more than 1000 deaths. Opposition candidate Raila Odinga said the election was stolen from him by incumbent President Mwai Kibaki. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan eventually persuaded the two rivals to form a coalition government. "People are coming to understand what democracy is," said Emmanuel Akli, editor of the independent Chronicle." We are in a volatile region, and it's only Ghana that is really practicing democracy. It's the only country which has changed government twice without a single incident." South Africa has elected a controversial person as the President, although he is hugely popular among his tribes. The case against the President for alleged corruption is not being pressed and such action raised some questions about the rule of law in the country. The United States hopes President Barack Obama's decision to visit Ghana will spur other African governments to try and emulate the West African country's democratic record and good governance. It seems that to assuage their feelings, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton embarked on an African tour - Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Cape Verde in early August. US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly, said in a statement, Hillary emphasised Africa as a place of opportunity, built on ethic, responsibility, and good governance. Clinton underscored America's commitment to partner with governments, the private sector, non-government organisations, and private citizens to build societies where each individual could realise their potential. Her seven nation tour had been used to highlight US President Barack Obama's commitment to making Africa a priority in US foreign policy. This will be the earliest in any US administration that both the President and the Secretary of State have visited Africa. The author is former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.
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