Obama in Ghana

By Kwasi Kpodo and Jeff Mason Kwasi Kpodo And Jeff Mason

ACCRA (Reuters) – President Barack Obama was given a hero's welcome in Ghana on Friday on his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa since taking office as the first black president of the United States.

It was a poignant moment for Africans as the leader of the world's most powerful country, the son of an African immigrant, and his wife Michelle, the descendant of Africans shipped to America as slaves, stepped onto the red carpet in Accra.

In Ghana, he is expected to deliver a message on the importance of good governance in a country that defies stereotypes of a continent blighted by conflict, coups and crisis.

"Part of the reason that we're traveling to Ghana is because you've got there a functioning democracy, a president who's serious about reducing corruption, and you've seen significant economic growth," Obama said before leaving Italy.

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Obama, his wife and two daughters were met at the airport by President John Atta Mills, elected in a peaceful, transparent vote last December that set an example for the continent.

Economic reforms in the cocoa and gold producing country, set to begin pumping oil next year, also helped bring unprecedented investment and growth before the impact of the global financial crisis.

Obama shook hands with local dignitaries, some in the colorful traditional kente cloth. To cheers, he moved briefly to the beat of the traditional drummers in the humid evening air of the coastal capital.

"He could hear the music before we opened the doors," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. "This is both a special and an important visit for him personally as president but also for our country to articulate a vision for Africa."

HOPE
Ghanaians packed the dark streets around the airport, hoping for a glimpse of the president, who was driven quickly to his hotel without making any public statement.

"It's a great moment for Ghana and Africa. We have to celebrate our own," said driver Emmanuel Tsawe, who covered his 43-seater bus with Obama posters.

"I believe he has good intentions for the continent and we must cooperate with him," he said.

But Africa has not been a top priority for an administration grappling with the global financial crisis.

Few expect a shift in policy and the main message will be on the importance of good governance and the wise use of aid, such as the G8 commitment made in Italy to spend $20 billion on improving food security in poor countries.

Obama, whose father is from Kenya, drew on his own background to stress the importance of transparency and strong institutions in bringing change.

"My father travelled to the United States a mere 50 years ago and yet now I have family members who live in villages -- they themselves are not going hungry, but live in villages where hunger is real," he said.
"If you talk to people on the ground in Africa, certainly in Kenya, they will say that part of the issue here is the institutions aren't working for ordinary people. And so governance is a vital concern that has to be addressed."

Obama was due to address parliament on Saturday before visiting Cape Coast Castle, a fort used in the transatlantic slave trade. He and his family will spend less than 24 hours in Ghana before returning to the United States.

[Ab-Titchaz]

[Mwazange]

	Quote:	Jasusi
	Hii ni hotuba aliyotoa rais Obama leo Ghana. Kama haifai kuwa hapa moderators mnaweza kuihamisha.

Mkuu ungewaambia watu wakong'oli hapa ingetosha sana tu......

[mrugaruga]

Obama hakupenda kumwambia pale pale White House kwamba your country is very corrupt, leo hii alipokuwa Ghana, Obama katuma hii message kwa Kikwete, kama kweli Kikwete ana akili sijui atarudi tena uko Marekani kutembeza Bakuri kama alivyozoea au la!!!!

1) Corruption case:
I. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves: Example “Mkapa/Chenge/Mramba/etc kagoda”
II. No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top: Example, Richmond, Rada, Vitambulisho, you name it.
III. The head of the Port Authority is corrupt. Example Bandari ya Dar Es-Salaam TICS :"nina orodha ya watu wanaopokea rushwa hapa bandarini, nitawashughulikia (Kikwete)
IV. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. Example, Tarime Mining /Zanzibar 2000 Election

That is not democracy, that is tyranny, even if occasionally you sprinkle an election in there. And now is the time for that style of governance to end.

Agriculture:
Serikali inaweza kuwapa zana za kilimo wananchi kulima na kuexport mazao badala ya kuleta waarabu kuja kulima ekali 500,0000 ili kukidhi njaa zao Kwa miaka 99.

“Obama” That's why our $3.5 billion food security initiative is focused on new methods and technologies for farmers -- not simply sending American producers or goods to Africa. Aid is not an end in itself.

The purpose of foreign assistance must be creating the conditions where it's no longer needed . I want to see African not only self-sufficient in food, I want to see you exporting food to other countries and earning money. You can do that. (Obama speech)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_...an-Parliament/

[Jasusi]

Mrugaruga,
Umemaliza kila kitu.

[Skills4Ever]

Hilo dongo la kubadili katiba na kukomalia madaraka,utawala bora ni la Mugabe na wenzake wanaokomaaa hapo hapo......JK amesifiwa,amefanya yapi??au hotuba zake akienda ndizo wanazofuata?waje hapa waone matatizo ya uchumi,inflation rate,bei ya bidhaa muhimu unga,mchele,maharage nafaka kwa ujumla....vipato,wakulima wanavyopata kidogo .....ukulima duni,kutegemea mvua etc.....sasa wanamsifia kwa amani labda na kuwabeba mafisadi

[Malyamungu]

You have the power to hold your leaders accountable ( Obama, 2009).

Haya maneno yananiuma sana nikiwaangalia na kuifikiria Tanzania inakoeleka na viongozi wake.

[Manda]

	Quote:	Ab-Titchaz
	I concur with you 100% hata nadhani kama Obama mwenyewe angesikia angewaambia waendelee na shughuli zao. Waafrika samtaim tunajishukisha hadhi wenyewe tu hata bila sababu.

Somehow uko right bro ila tusisahau kuwa the advent of colonialism, post colonialism as well the neo liberal economic schemes has amplified the inferiority complex ya waaafrika towards wazungu.

Bro, uko US, at least wewe unaweza kuwa unajua vyema zaidi kuliko th rest of us who are not there kuwa sometimes wazungu they hopeless hata sisi tuna afadhali, lakini Mjaluo wa Kibera doesnt know that, inlc. our politician, mara ngapi wasomi wetu wamekuwa wanadharauliwa on the face ya wataaalam wa Kizungu regardless kuwa they are empty headed?

Another good Obama speech, hope Fav's alifanya kazi yake vyema lakini still for me ina zua maswali mengi kuliko majibu.

[Smatta]

	Quote:	Manda
	Somehow uko right bro ila tusisahau kuwa the advent of colonialism, post colonialism as well the neo liberal economic schemes has amplified the inferiority complex ya waaafrika towards wazungu. Bro, uko US, at least wewe unaweza kuwa unajua vyema zaidi kuliko th rest of us who are not there kuwa sometimes wazungu they hopeless hata sisi tuna afadhali, lakini Mjaluo wa Kibera doesnt know that, inlc. our politician, mara ngapi wasomi wetu wamekuwa wanadharauliwa on the face ya wataaalam wa Kizungu regardless kuwa they are empty headed? Another good Obama speech, hope Fav's alifanya kazi yake vyema lakini still for me ina zua maswali mengi kuliko majibu.

Why, why, why? hii dharau ndio inaturudisha nyuma sie Waafrika, tribal stereotyping generates more hate than you can ever fathom. tafadhali kaka yangu ama ni dada yangu, i dont see any need for you to have included Jaluos in your post.. Lets keep the hate to a minimum.

[Watu]

kweli kunata kinte kaingia white house,

kiswahili cha kubalika White House,


http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/doc...ANA_SPEECH.doc

[Mtoto]

kumbe speech yake ya Ghana naweza hata kuipata hata kwa Kiswahili. Kweli Tanzania tunaweza kwenda mbali sema tu hatuoni. Katika Lugha zote za asili Africa, hii speech imetolewa kwa Kiswahili tu! Hii ni aibu kwa Ghana, na ni sifa kwa Tanzania. Now we need to expand this opportunity. Wizara gani ina-deal na lugha?