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.

[LazyDog]

	Quote:	Jasusi
	Lazydog, Strong institutions hazijengwi na strong leaders. Zinajengwa na a strong civil society that will take its leaders to task. Mwinyi may not have been a strong leader, but he could have helped build strong institutions by fighting corruption in the government, for example, and not using the police to hide his wife's misdeeds, another example, or not intefering with mahakama, etc. etc.

Jasusi,
Tunarudi pale pale kwamba ili uwe na strong civil societies, you need strong men.

	Quote:	Babuyao
	"Strong men" kama Obama alivyolitumia lina maana ya viongozi wenye kutawala kwa mkono wa chuma, viongozi wababe wanaotawala watu wao kwa mababvu na utawala wa imla. Kumbe kwa Obama hawa watu hawahitajiki kwa sasa. Kinachohitajika ni utawala wa sheria, taasisi imara zenye kudhihirisha demokrasia ya kweli. Hivi ndivyo vitaleta maendeleo. Neno "strong" limetumika negatively kumaanisha dictatorship. Kumbe neno strong men lazima ulisome kwa kuangalia context. Neno hilo angelitumia katika context nyingine lingeweza kuwa na maana pia tofauti tena iliyo chanya: yaani lingemaanisha viongozi imara wenye kusimamia sera nzuri bila kubabaika. Hapa neno "strong" lingekuwa na kinyume chake "weak" ambao ni udhaifu.

Babuyao,
If that was the case, how would explain the use of the same word (strong) on the second part of that same quote? ("Africa doesn't need strong men, it needs strong institutions")


Mtoto,
Umesema "strong institutions inatosha"
What is the problem of having both, as proposed by Tumain?

	Quote:	Tumain
	mimi nafikiri "Africa needs strong man to put in place strong institution" or rather we need both strong institution na strong man" what you say??

[Jasusi]

	Quote:	LazyDog
	Jasusi, Tunarudi pale pale kwamba ili uwe na strong civil societies, you need strong men.Babuyao, If that was the case, how would explain the use of the same word (strong) on the second part of that same quote? ("Africa doesn't need strong men, it needs strong institutions") Mtoto, Umesema "strong institutions inatosha" What is the problem of having both, as proposed by Tumain?

Lazydog,
The problem is strong men will never build strong institutions. They have a tendency of being an institution unto themselves, being demi-Gods, ala Mugabe.

[Mtoto]

	Quote:	LazyDog
	Jasusi, Tunarudi pale pale kwamba ili uwe na strong civil societies, you need strong men.Babuyao, If that was the case, how would explain the use of the same word (strong) on the second part of that same quote? ("Africa doesn't need strong men, it needs strong institutions") Mtoto, Umesema "strong institutions inatosha" What is the problem of having both, as proposed by Tumain?

Kuongezea point ya Jasusi, unaweza kunitajia viongozi walioweza kujenga strong institutions? I would imagine, institutions zinakuwa over time. Huwezi kuamka asubuhi na kusema nitakuwa na strong judiciary. Hii inatokea overtime kutokana na ideology ya 'bench' - yaani ma-judge. Unachoweza kufanya ni kupalilia hiyo ideology. Tuangalie mfano wa Obama na trasparency kwa sasa. Anaingiza IT katika government katika level ambayo sidhani kama ilikuwa inatumika. Hii ni slow change, overtime (hopefully) itajengeka na kuwa part and parcel of government. Inaweza hata kufikia kipindi kukawa na webcam unapata direct feed ya ofisini kwake akiwa kazini.
Mkuu, hapa hatusemi kuwa hakuna great leaders, wapo kwa sababu wanakuwa wamefanya (ma)jambo fulani zuri. Na wataendelea kuwepo. Lakini institutions play the greater role, for it lives on while a man dies.

[Babuyao]

	Quote:	Babuyao, If that was the case, how would explain the use of the same word [I
	(strong)[/I] on the second part of that same quote? ("Africa doesn't need strong men, it needs strong institutions")

Maelezo ya kamusi:
"strong⋅man 
–noun, plural -men. 1.a person who performs remarkable feats of strength, as in a circus.2.a political leader who controls by force; dictator.3.the most powerful or influential person in an organization or business, by reason of skill in the formulation and execution of plans, work, etc."


Obama ametumia neno "strong" mara 2 katika hiyo kauli yake, lakini si kwa maana moja. Kwenye sehemu ya kwanza "strong men" anamaanisha madikteta wenye kutumia nguvu kutawala watu. Na sehemu ya pili anapoongelea taasisi neno "strong" amelitumia kwa maana chanya, yaani taasisi zenye nguvu (imara, zisizotetereka).

Kwa kifupi tunaweza kusema hatuhitaji wababe kwa sasa bali taasisi imara ili kuweza kuleta maendeleo kwa sababu wababe (madikteta) hawapikiki chungu kimoja na taasisi imara ambazo ni kioo cha demokrasia na utawala bora. Madikteta wanatawala "peke" yao kwa imla bila kushirikisha wananchi na bila kujali haki za binadamu. Hapo maendeleo hayaji. Kumbe kinachohitajika ni taasisi imara (tunda la demokrasia) zenye kuendesha na kusimamia harakati za maendeleo. Kumbe taasisi hizi haziundwi na kiongozi peke yake bali na watu wote kiongozi akiwa mmoja wao.