Third Time Lucky (page 44)

THE relationship between Ghana and the United States (US) has generally been friendly since Ghana's independence in 1957, except for a period of strained relations during the latter years of the Nkrumah regime. Records show that Ghana was the first country into which US Peace Corps volunteers were sent when it was established in 1961 under President John .F. Kennedy.
The two countries are signatories to about 20 agreements and treaties covering areas such as agricultural commodities, aviation, defence, economic and technical cooperation, education, extradition, postal matters, telecommunications, and treaty obligations.
The relationship spanned from the period when Ghana achieved nationhood and it seems to improve further from 1992 when Ghanaians decided to once again, follow the path of democracy which is also the system of government of the US.
That explains why in 1998 when the US President Bill Clinton (a former president to the US continue to be called president) and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton decided to make a six-nation tour of Africa, they chose Ghana as the “Gateway”.
Described as the most extensive visit to Africa ever done by a sitting US president, it was historical that President Clinton made Ghana his first stop.
To which Ghanaians happily accepted as the “Gateway to Africa, President Clinton was greeted by a crowd of hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic people.
Together with his wife, Hillary, President Clinton saw the best of Ghanaian hospitality.
Making Ghana the first stop of President Clinton's African tour was seen in some quarters as a reward for the Rawlings government's political and economic reform policies. The visit at that time was seen as United States attempt to promote good governance in Africa in return for increased trade and investment.
To achieve that objective of promoting economic development, human rights and democracy in Africa, Mr Clinton took the opportunity to visit six African nations which were Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Botswana, and Senegal in 11 days.
That visit was the first to be made by an American president to Africa in nearly 20 years.
Mr Clinton chose to visit countries that represented a "new" Africa - one of relative political stability and economic growth, and was, therefore, not surprising that he came to Ghana.
Before he undertook the trip, President Clinton spoke of "African Renaissance," and repeatedly stated that the US wanted to be a great part of Africa's integration into the global economy.
The US, under President Clinton expressed the hope to achieve that objective primarily through its policy of "trade not aid," and it was during his era that the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) was introduced.
The then President of Ghana Flt Lt. Jerry John Rawlings and his wife Nana Konadu Agyeman, members of the diplomatic corps, ministers and government officials welcomed him at the Kotoka International Airport.
The two Presidents addressed a press conference on many issues offering the American President the forum to talk about his administration policy for Africa.
At 12.30 pm President Rawlings accompanied the US President to visit Technoserve, an American NGO based in Accra while, Nana Konadu and Mrs Hillary Clinton paid a visit to the 31st December Day Care Centre also in Accra.
The event that highlighted the visit of Mr Bill Clinton was the durbar of chiefs and people of Ghana at the Independence Square in Accra. The arrival of the two presidents to the durbar was heralded by traditional music and dance performances.
The immediate successor of President Bill Clinton; President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura Bush also visited Ghana from February 19 - 21, 2008.
During that historic three-day visit, President Bush and senior members of his staff, including Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, met with Ghana’s President, Mr J. A Kufuor at the Osu Castle. They held a press briefing in the Castle Gardens and later in the day, met with U.S. Embassy staff and also had lunch with some Peace Corps Volunteers.
As part of the visit, President Bush attended a special trade fair in Accra which was organised in his honour. He also set the first ball at a tee-ball game at the Ghana International School (GIS)
In the evening of the first day, President bush attended a State Banquet hosted by President Kufuor and his wife Theresa as well as some top government officials.
On his part, the First Lady, Laura Bush inspected projects funded under the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) in parts of Accra as well as projects under the African Education Initiative.
To climax his visit, President Bush made a pledge for $17 million to combat Malaria in Ghana and a pledge of $350 million to combat neglected tropical diseases in the region.
As it is common with Ghanaians, the people welcomed the first family from the US to the land of gold. Every step he made was reported in the local media and even weeks after they had left, newspapers continued to publish pictures of President Bush pounding sheanuts at the mini trade fair organised in his honour.
During his journey back to the United States aboard Air Force One, President Bush was reported to have told the travelling press: "I would say this is one of the most exciting trips of my presidency. Exciting because when we first got to Washington, Africa was -- parts of Africa were in turmoil, not much had been to arrest disease, there wasn't intense world focus on the continent -- the second trip to Africa for me, the fifth for Laura -- was a chance to herald courageous people in their efforts to deal with hopelessness. And what really made me happy was that the people of Africa have come to appreciate the generosity of the American people."