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Speech delivered by Ghana ambassador to Germany; Her Excellency Akua Sena Dansua on the 58th Indepedence Anniversary of Ghana organized by the Ghana embassy in Berlin Germany; 6th March, 2015 at the Deutchse Bank Hall in Berlin.

Ambassador George Smith, Regional Director for the Sub Sahara Africa, Honorable Minister of Tourism and Culture-Ghana, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Excellences, Colleague Ambassadors, Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Our respected Religious and Traditional leaders of the Ghanaian community in Germany, Dear friends of Ghana, Ladies and Gentlemen; Gutten Abend!

I wish on behalf of His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana and the entire Citizenry of Ghana to welcome you to the commemoration of Ghana’s 58th Anniversary.  We are grateful that you honor the invitation to celebrate with us.

Let me extend special welcome to the honorable minister for taking time off her busy schedule to join us in this commemoration.

Independence 50 years ago offered us the freedom and opportunity to take our destiny into our own hands to do great things for ourselves. On this occasion, I join hands with all Ghanaians all over the World to pay tribute to Ghana’s founding Fathers affectionately called the “BIG 6” whose struggle and toil led to Ghana’s independence. Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah of the ”BIG 6” deserves a special mention for his post-independence leadership which placed Ghana at the forefront of the decolonization of Ghana and carved out an Africa personality.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, today Marks another milestone in Ghana’s history, a day on Which Ghanaians collectively reflect on the Past, take stock of the present and refocus the future direction of our Country which is a model of democracy and good governance in Africa.  It is fair to state that while much has been achieved as a Nation; a lot more remain to be done in terms of development. Efforts to uplift ourselves are unrelenting and the government of Ghana under the able leadership of President John Mahama will continue to pursue strategies and policies that will promote the country’s Socio-Economic development.

Ghana abounds in unlimited opportunities; our forward marching development will continue to be anchored on values of freedom and justice, deepening democratic Culture, rule of law and good governance.

GHANA GERMAN RELATIONS:

Excellences, distinguished ladies and Gentlemen, Nananom Ghana has had cordial relations with Germany since 1961 and these relations have witnessed phenomena growth in scope and quality and these is characterized by high bilateral official visits of dignitaries of both countries.

For instance, in January 2007 past President, Horst Koehler of Germany paid a two day state visit to Ghana. Also in June 2007 and August 2008, Ex-President Kuffuor of Ghana paid state and official visit to Germany at different times.

In January 2015, President John Mahama was in Germany for a state visit which was highly successful; thanks to the invaluable support of the German Government and other major private sector Partners and stakeholders like the Afrika-Verein and our Ghanaian Community led by our respected religious and traditional leaders.  During the visit, President John Mahama met with His Excellency Joachim Gauck and Chancellor Angela Merkel separately and held bilateral discussions mainly in the area of Energy, Vocational Skills training and Agriculture. 

On Sub –regional EOWAS issues, Chancellor Merkel and President Mahama discussed various issues including the economic partnership agreement that is awaiting signature between Countries in the Sub region and the EU which will among others allow for market access to member Countries.  They also discussed the threat to peace and security in the sub region and strategies to tackle them.

ON EBOLA:
With regards to EBOLA which ravaged part of West Africa, the President John Mahama as the Chairman of ECOWAS and Chancellor Merkel reiterated the need for international response to future health emergencies. They also noted that hard hit countries by the disease like Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone should be supported to establish sustainable health systems to develop their economies.

Ghana is indeed grateful to the German government for her containment of EBOLA in the sub region to the tune of about 160 Million Euro including logistical support.  It is worth mentioning that President Mahama in his capacity as the Chairman of ECOWAS allowed for the establishment of UN Logistic Center for EBOLA in Ghana from where international coordination efforts are being handled. Also, President Mahama was among few head of states that visited the affected countries to show solidarity during their difficult moments. Fortunately, no Ebola case was recorded in Ghana.

GERMAN OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE OF GHANA:
Excellences, Fellow Ghanaians Distinguished ladies and Gentlemen, This Evening has presented us with another opportunity to acknowledge the satisfaction and with deep gratitude the immerse assistance extended to the Government of Ghana by the federal republic of Germany over the years. 

German official development assistance to Ghana has contributed greatly to national development in critical areas like Agriculture, Education, rural development and local government administration.  The development project undertaken by the GIZ to promote Ghana-Germany renewable energy business partnership and the 2012 Germany’s KFW Development Bank disbursement of close to 35 million Euro to support development work in Ghana deserves great mention.

We anticipate that the investment forum held during the visit of President Mahama will lead to an enhanced trade and investment relations between our two Countries.

ON TOURISM: Ghana offers diverse tourism opportunities and Germans are the 3rd largest tourists that visit Ghana after the USA and UK and I would like to use this opportunity to call for more German investments in tourism infrastructure such as hotels, restaurants and related services in Ghana.

GHANA-THE WAY FORWARD: As our nation celebrates her 58th birthday, the prevailing socio-economic status of the country is worth mentioning. The economy has maintained satisfactory growth rate with an average annual growth of about 6% over the past 6years.

Excellences, Distinguished ladies and Gentlemen; the importance of the rural electrification project which will occasion the extension of electricity to all parts of the country and the relocation of high energy consuming institutions to Ghana have not matched the current supply of power in the country. The situation is worsened by the intermittent disruptions and discrepancies in Supply of gas for power generation from the nearby countries. This resulted in serious deficit in power supply and has created a difficult situation currently for the nation.  However government is working on a lasting solution which Germany is a partner.

Few Weeks ago, Ghana and the IMF have reached an agreement such that the IMF will provide a sum of 3 million dollars over a period of 3 years to help sustain the lower middle income status attained by Ghana in 2009.

On behalf of the President, let me assure you that the government remains committed to creation of Business environment that balances the growth of local industries and smooth operation of foreign businesses considered vital to creation of robust national economy. Government is also ready to support foreign direct investment in areas of Energy, Agriculture and Infrastructure development.

In conclusion, while extending fraternal greetings to all co-patriots and friends in Germany on our anniversary; my special appeal to you is for us to build a better and prosperous Ghana anchored on United Country with a common vision.

Long live Ghana-German relations, Long live Ghana. Viele Danke!

Compiled by Francis Amemador -/TopAfric Media Network

Donaldson Sackey  a.k.a Mr. swaggerholic is  a Football player and also a proffessional model.

Born on the 30th of  September 1988, he spent his earlier career playing for Hertha BSC, Tennis Borussia Berlin, Compostela FC, Osteinbek SV, and Forest Green Rovers.
In August of 2012, An English club (Stockport sportser SV) signed him.  He also  made his international debut for Togo in 2011 where he played 4 matches.
Donaldson is a right foot striker. He is strong and very fast.  His aim is to score a lot of goals and get signed to a higher division club.  But he is always ready to help his country`s national team.
He also has a passion for modeling.  Mr Swaggerholic works with a model agency in London called `Base Model`.  He participated in the past London Fashion Week.

Christian Kenou

It falls on 1st October every year and is also observed with unmatched nationalistic ardor throughout the country. The significance of Independence Day in Nigeria lies in the fact that it binds all the Nigerians into one chord not only within the country but also in the far off lands of America and Europe.

A brief history of Nigeria's struggle for independence---

Historical evidences indicate that the earlier inhabitants of Nigeria were thought to have the Nok tribe followed by Kanuri, Hausa and Fulani who migrated to the country in the subsequent years. In the 13th century Islam was introduced in Nigeria, and the Kanem Empire continued to rule the country till the 14th century. With the annexation of British in 1886, it became a British colony in the later years. After years of hard struggle and political turmoil Nigeria achieved independence on 1st October 1960.

The vast landscapes of the country, stretching from the Obudu Hills of the southeast through the beaches in to the rainforest regions of the Lagos estuary the country has worth while natural splendors to explore.

Culturally one of the diverse countries of Africa, Nigeria is home to more than 250 linguistic ethnic groups as Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani and Igbo. The folk music of Nigeria has gained tremendous boost with indigenous fusion giving it a new dimension in the past few years. The economy of Nigeria has come of age with the exploration of oil and petroleum deposits which accounts for nearly 50% of its income. Also the vast mineral resources extensively contribute to the economic upsurge of the country.

The Nigerian Independence day remains incomplete without paying marked homage to its famous freedom fighters and leaders who have inspired the country independence struggle.

https://www.beddy.de

The Zouk & Kizomba Gala  grandiose party was held at the Penthouse Dancing School in Hamburg. The first thing that attracted my attention was the big dance floor that was exposed with light effects and the black and red furniture that was decorated with candles.

The small bar served delicious drinks and the comfortable seating areas offered the guests a place to relax.

From 11pm the dance floor started to fill up, and the vibes were very pleasant, Zouk & Kizomba fans, professional dancers, trainers and Dj´s arrived from all corners of the, cultures and of all ages came together to dance and party. It was very nice to see how dancing and music can unite various people.

The couples on the dance floor were dancing skillful to the music. I was able to see the passion, the guests had for the dance. I noticed to my surprise that there were smiling faces everywhere. The way the couples were dancing was very esthetic and erotic, around 12am the Dj started to play some faster music and on the dance floor it got hot.

The sexy hip movements, the beautiful women made  the dance floor burn like fire.The social connection between the guests seemed to be very friendly and familiar. Dancing partners were changed often. Also the main organizer seemed to be very relaxed and was dancing with a lot of his guests.

After a while the music fascinated me more and more and I felt like it carried me off. I felt the rhythm in my blood. Later in the night the main organizer Ben Craig, held a short speech and introduced the special dancers, trainers and Dj´s to the crowd. They came from the USA, England, Sweden, France, Spain and others.

The crowd continued to dance impassioned until one of the trainers encourages them to dance all together. It took not even a minute until everybody was on the dance floor and they developed a high-class choreography. Two of the dancers were leading the crowd and they as well as some others proofed their abilities.

After that the event came to an end, so the dancers had some time to rest their selves for the workshops and parties, which came the days after.

In summary the event was real nice; the organizer did his job very well and the location was perfect. I hope that next time I can attend the workshops and parties as participant and not to work there. The dancers impressed me and the music affected me emotionally, so I wish I can learn to dance like this in the future and I can just recommend it to everybody, who likes to dance.

Contact: Ben Craig, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: +49 (0) 15253535344

By Janina Jay; Chritian Russel Kenoue & Eddy Ray

I have encountered occasions where some Africans make statements like “You are white, so you have money”, or “You are white, so you are able to pay for anything” or “All the white people are rich”.
So I ask myself what causes this way of thinking. Then I came to the following different conclusions below:

The first reason is the media. Germany for example is normally presented as a rich country in the media all around the world. They show the world that there are lots of jobs and developed infrastructures.

But this is not right; there is another side too. 
What about all the homeless people who can’t afford anything? The old people that can´t pay for their medicine or food. Children that go to bed hungry. The single mothers who don’t have enough income to provide everything the children need. The media often neglects to report this side of the story. 


The next reason goes back to history. Africa was always rich. So white people came to the continent with their weapons, robbed it, killed out tribes, enslaved and oppressed the people.

Why did they do that?

To get more and more money. So it is believed that since White ancestors robbed Africa out of its wealth years ago, their descendants are all wealthy today.


But the truth is while a handful of White ancestors might have robbed Africa off its wealth, majority of their descendants did not and are not profiting from that today.

Another reason I think comes from some Africans themselves. Some Africans travel to European countries and buy either used clothes, cars or phones at a very cheap rates.
Then ship it back to Africa to be sold to Africans who sometimes cannot afford these items. 
This gives Africans back home the notion that all white people are rich if they can afford these items.

The last reason:
So often I hear a lot of people say that Africa is poor and the people have no money. 
Or that the entire continent is not developed. Or Africans have no education and they need white people to help them.

But this is not true. 
There are many places in Africa that are well developed (South Africa, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, and Egypt, just to name a few) and people can afford more things than a lot of white people cannot. 


There are also a lot of Africans that are much better educated and have more knowledge than plenty of white people.

In summary, I don´t think that money makes you rich nor does it make you poor. I have seen a side without all the material things I have here in Germany. I lived in a non-materialistic world. When I woke up in the morning I felt the sunshine in my face, heard the kids calling my Name, and saw the neighbor bringing fresh fruits from the garden to me. I felt some kind of richness in my soul that no money could ever give me.

So for me it has no significance, if someone has money or not, because it doesnt mean that you are happy or not happy.


So please stop thinking about who has more money, there are much more important things in life.  
Like Bob Marley said "My richness is life forever". 

Janina Grabbert

The 3rd African Youth Education Award will take place in Hamburg this month. So we interviewed the CEO of TopAfric, Mr. Desmond John Beddy, who is also the main organizer of the event. The participants are students with African heritages, that live in Germany and have gained admission into German universities, as well as students that have completed an apprenticeship.

 Q: Can you give us a brief summary of what the AYE-Award is?
Just a small amount of the Africans in Germany are studying or doing an apprenticeship (Ausbildung). That’s why we initiated the African Youth Education Award, so as to motivate more of the youths to take education seriously. The Award is a yearly discussion of education awareness in our communities.

Q: How did everything start?
We invented the program in 2011. I once had an interview with the ambassador of Ghana and he asked me the question “what have you done for your people?” I didn’t know how to answer this question and was seriously thinking about it for a long time. In the end I came to the conclusion that I want to do something for my people in the education sector. So I developed the African Youth Education Award.

Q: Have you been able to reach some of your target and do you intend to reach more?

Definitely yes. For sure the AYE-Award wasn’t as successful as it is today. We make mistakes, but we learn from them, correct them and get better.
We want to celebrate our children and we want the people to say education is “cool”. Because at the moment if you play football you are “cool”, but if you concentrate on education and you do very well in school you are “uncool”.
We also want to bring some role models like lawyers, engineers or diplomats to our platform.

Q: Which communities have you been able to reach and how many more do you intend to reach? 
The goal of the project is to reach the entire African communities. We already reached out to the Ghanaian ambassador  as well as the ambassadors of Togo, Congo and Mali. So we encourage all the communities to also reach out to us.

Q: How do you organize and finance the event?

Education is one of the most expensive things in life. TopAfric is the main organizer of the event, but basically different institutions also help us. Personalities and institutions like the Ghanaian ambassador, Gerald Asamoah, Otto Addo, Dr. Armah from Biomedical GmbH & Co. KG and the "Zentrum für Mission und Ökumene", and Ogbeiwi Facility Management support us.
But the wish we have for the future is that more African churches take a responsibility for their people too, because they have the majority of people.

Q: Do you have any difficulties during the organization? 

In life there are always difficulties. So of course we have a lot of challenges and it is always a difficult task and the financial aspect is always a risk. But for sure we are moving forward and this year for example we have ten tablets for the participants.

Q: When and where is the next event taking place?

The event always takes place towards the middle of October. So this year it is set up for the 19th of October and will be held at the Albert-Schäfer-Saal (IHK). Adolphsplatz 1, 20457 Hamburg.

Q: How did you get The Handelskammer as your location? Is Hamburg City supporting you also?

Of course Hamburg is supporting us. You can´t make such an event without the support of the city. Especially the Handelskammer and the Ministry of Education (Schulbehörde), and the Ghana and Kenya Consulate are very supportive.

Q: Do you intend to implement the project in other German cities?
Right now we are not able to organize the event outside of Hamburg. But we offer students from other cities the possibility to attend the Award by paying their transportation cost and organize accommodation if necessary.
But if all communities work together and are more supportive we might shift the location to other cities in the future.

Q: Can you give us a final statement about how you feel about the upcoming event?

Every year I get nervous and every year we are trying to make a step forward. So this year we promised to provide tablets for the participants. This is an extra responsibility that makes me even more nervous. But I hope that everything works out like we want it to.
TopAfric

Dear readers and listeners, we would like to introduce one of our radio presenters at Topafric Radio. Her name is Kolawole Ajibola but she goes by Fabulous Muah. Miss Ajibola is also a student at Leipzig University here in Germany. She is majoring in African Studies. She is the co-presenter of the show “Hot List” along side Christian Kenou. They interview all up and coming young artists within Germany. The show comes up every Monday 6pm – 8pm German time.


Bola, like she is fondly called, is also the coordinator of Topafric’s African Youth Education Awards 2013. This is a yearly event that awards kids (of African Origin living in Germany) who attain admission into Universities as well as kids who graduate from Universities here in Germany.


Bola is also a very good writer with a journalistic instinct. She has the knowledge and foresight of breaking down important issues so that the average reader can comprehend the matter at hand. She wrote a very controversial article entitled “Mistakes Africans make while organizing beauty Pageants in Germany”. (Click here to read the article) This article got over 1000 hits within days and was a hot topic in and around Hamburg, Bremen, and Hannover.


She is 21yrs old, loves listening to Bob Marley, dancing, watching movies, and having fun. Although she admits to giving her best when it comes to cooking, this young talented lady gives her best whenever she is given an assignment or whenever she embarks on any project herself.


Watch out for Miss Kolawole Ajibola a.k.a Fabulous. This flower is yet to blossom. She will fabulously blow your mind away when she does.

Ross Penn (Topafric)


Check out her video interview below:

Kwadwo Yeboah Breman is a journalist who also hosts a radio show on Topafric radio every Sundays from 7pm – 8pm. The 33yr old is single, loves to play soccer, loves listening to hip-hop, loves cooking inter-continental African dishes but most especially loves dancing.

He hosts a show that encourages the Africans in diaspora to help mother Africa. He is originally from Ghana but is based in Hamburg, Germany
Yeboah is humble, hardworking, intelligent, charismatic, and most definetly full of positive energy. He has alot to offer the world and is working towards doing just that.


His Journalistic instincts gives him the fresh perpectives he uses while hosting his radio show. He brought up a very controversial issue in Hamburg, Germany which he wrote about in an article entitled :Why Do Africans Patronize Asian Stores More Than Afro Shops (Click Here to read article).
This issue was widely discussed all over the city of Hamburg with a clear understanding as to why and what the problem was.
Mr Breman is yet to reach his full potential. So continue to listen to him and watch out for more from this energitic Journalist.


Topafric

The much awaited “World Igbo Conference " has come and gone last Sunday the 18th of August 2013.

According to many igbozurume delegates who converged from all part of the World, the August Event indeed was a success and a masterpiece of its kind never seen in any African community in Germany.                          

The successful event was attributed to the judicious, dedicated and precisional attention given to it by the committed and loyal members of Igbozurume Germany. The conference itself holds a watershed in the history of Igbo’s in Germany. For many folks, the just concluded convention gave the Igbo’s in Germany, for the first time a sense of pride and nationalism. 

A sharp contrast from the way things were done in the past. And gladly in end, History was made and recorded. The beauty and highlight of the Day was the presence of Igbozurume Grand Patron Germany; HRH Ezeigbo Dr.Peter Aguiyi Godwin, who came all the way from Stuttggart with 10 man delegates in a grand style.

The young Onye Eze Igbo Germany passion shown openly when during his speech he became emotional on the so many problems, according to him is threatening the existence of the Igbo’s all over the world. Although he equally reminded the crowd how blessed Igbo’s are surviving under a difficult and hash political gang up.

He also spoke on the need to restore the dignity of Igbo’s in Nigeria and importantly the need to unite with all our Igbo brothers across the bridge. In all, the sum total of his message was peace, love and unity amongst the Igbo’s in the Diaspora and at home. But before I conclude this piece, let me advise some of our Igbo brothers to desist from chasing shadows.

Igbozurume Germany under the leadership of Johnbosco K.Onyeke is a moving train, so it would be needless for anybody to engage in unwarranted media warfare. It’s my candid opinion, that the Igbozurume fever that has unmistakable gripped some people should stop now.    

It´s any group fundamental human rights to assembly, associate even de-associate, any individual/group who unnecessarily engaged others maliciously should never forget the legal implication of infringing on the right of others.

While its natural for brothers to disagree and agree, what is least expected was the wicked approach some misguided few adopted to frustrate the activities of other group which does not in any way trampled on their human right.

The unfortunately thing being that some people mentioned in this wicked act were guys many people in the community looked up to. What a shame! Above all, Igbozurume is open to all Igbo’s in German, I am well convinced within the shortest time our aggrieved brothers whose excuses for separating are yet unclear, will realize the need to come back into our fold which is where they belong.

I believe it’s in our very best interest Igbo’s in Germany to collectively champion the Igbozurume course, our commitment is restoring the lost dignity of Igbo man.

So, let the young and old, men and women of Igbo’s living in Germany join hands to this laudable task. Long Live Federal Republic of Germany! Long live Igbozurume Germany e.v !! Long live HRH Eze Dr.Peter Aguiyi Godwin (Onye Eze Igbo nke mbu na Germany) !!! Adams Kennedy Chidi PRO/ Media consultant Igbozurume (Northern Section)

KC ADAMS

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