The Year of Return: Its importance to Ghana and the Returnees

2019 marks the 400th anniversary which commemorates the “arrival of Africans in the English colonies at Point Comfort, Virginia, in 1619.” To ensure, a good, strong and lasting bond is developed natured and encouraged among persons of African descent scattered all over the world, Ghana, which is believed to be the heart of slave trade has initiated this all-important event and reunion dubbed “The Year of Return”.

This decision to come home just reminds me of a book I authored titled Returnees of the dead forest on Amazon. Get a copy and enjoy this amazing story, it fits perfectly into this story of the Year of Return. We are probably going to see this book play out in real life in the history of Ghana and our brothers and sisters who are returning home after 400 years.

The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo officially declared and launched the “Year of Return, Ghana 2019” in Washington, D.C., in September 2018 calling on Africans in the Diaspora to come home, giving fresh impetus to the quest to unite Africans on the continent with their brothers and sisters in the diaspora.

The Year of Return 2019 must not be just an ordinary event that, our lovely brothers and family members in the diaspora come to Ghana to celebrate and hurriedly leave but one that will provide opportunities, an enabling and hospital environment to make all in the diaspora want to settle down in the most hospital country they are free to call their home, land of birth and ancestral home.

The Year of Return 2019 since its launch has continued to gain popularity home and abroad but the question is what are the importance and benefits of this first to our own brothers and sisters in the diaspora who are returning home and then secondly to Ghana as an economy.

Apart from the traditional tour of important tourist sites, both Africans in the diaspora and Ghana must go beyond to create and take advantage of opportunities in business in all sectors of the economy.  Vast investment opportunities exist in Ghana for all in the diaspora who want to come home to do business.

Let the truth be told. There are more opportunities in Ghana than there are in America. It takes the eyes and mind of one ready to explore them to even see that they exist. There is the need to have a business, job creation and knowledge transfer talks and programs with Africans in the diaspora. This should be given prominences s we can build a lasting legacy after 400 years.

Bringing in the skills and knowledge of Africans in the diaspora. Africans in the diaspora who will be returning have very rich skills and knowledge in their fields of specialization in business, education, IT and others, government of Ghana must ensure it is able to tap into this and leverage on the event to help these great brothers and sisters help the local economy and the people at home to upgrade their knowledge and skills.

Whiles Africans in the diaspora come home we the people receiving them, our politicians, and all and sundry must get this into their heads that, our brothers and sisters are not coming to be exploited in any way. They will resist any attempt to do. The Africans in the diaspora are coming home to nothing a Ghana free from corruption, unnecessary bureaucratic processes and artificial impediments in government institutions, machinery and processes aimed at exploiting them. They want to return to a motherland that has not cultivate news ways of enslaving us, a Ghana where press freedom is practised in words, and deeds.

A Ghana where democracy is not armed to the teeth with vigilantism and militia activities in politics. They want to return in a new Ghana where there are no mafia tactics by persons in power to mess up their investments, a Ghana that is really safe and peaceful for their safety and progress in life.

All the Africans in the diaspora are calling for in the year of return is to be empowered to fight against extortion, corruption and bribery as these cankers are alien and repulsive to Africans in the diaspora.

Is Ghana ready to put aside all these negatives haven invited then to come home? Politicians and leaders must first answer these questions followed by the ordinary people on the street. The government, chiefs and people of Ghana are ready to help you establish businesses. It is no surprise that the Asebu chief has supported the Year of Return celebration with 5000 acres of land just for you are brothers and sisters in the diaspora. 

The year of return is no doubt the year of refinement of Ghana and Africans in the diaspora. It brings home people with diverse skills, high powered education and talents. It’s a moment for Ghana to gather the big cramps filled with goodies to reshape out minds, achieve the emancipation agenda which will toe into helping Ghana develop.

Come get along with your own people, where sharing is caring, where the people are lovely people and helping each other. Where culture unites us all, where we were to grow together in the first place as brothers and sisters.

As we reach out to our family members we lost touch with through the year of return. Africans in the diaspora are coming home and we have to network and build a robust team. They are coming home to give back to Ghana, what is Ghana giving back to them?

We at newsghana24.com support this amazing idea and program. We say, come home brothers and sisters, Let’s build Ghana and grow her together into a nation that is prosperous. Ghana is ready to receive you into a land free from racial discrimination, into a land where you are valued, cherished and respected.

WELCOME HOME, AKWAABA TO GHANA, YOUR LAND OF BIRTH. WE ARE NATURAL PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU.

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Source: Wisdom Eli Kojo Hammond | Author: Returnees of the dead forest