We join the rest of our compatriots in welcoming the Ivorian strongman, Alhassan Ouattarra, to the country. The reasons for the importance of this high-level visit are multifaceted.
Ghana and the Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire) were born out of Europe’s scramble and eventual partitioning of the continent which overlooked the similarities of the people so divided along geopolitical lines.
The first Ivorian President, Houphouet Boigny, and our own Kwame Nkrumah were contemporaries – the two bound by a common desire to see the rest of Africa emancipated from the shackles of colonialism.
The people of Nzema in the Western part of Ghana have siblings in the Ivory Coast and both sharing cultural similarities, including language.
French has altered the chemistry between us – a colonial imposition which we have over the years sought to manage to our benefit with a number of efforts, one of them being the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the encouragement of the study of   French and English.
During the Ivorian crisis, Ghana, a neighbour of the Francophone country, played significant roles in the restoration of normalcy. Like it is in other border areas, people are able to cross to the other side to see their siblings who have found themselves where they are because of the European partitioning of the continent as aforementioned.
There are cultural activities which bring Ivorian traditional rulers to Asanteman where they are hosted by the Ashanti King.
When the Ivorian President comes to Ghana he has come home to see his brothers and sisters. His host, the Ghanaian President who speaks French, is a close friend of his – the two having known each other even before assuming the highest office of their various countries.
Such visits enhance the bond of friendship between countries. President Akufo-Addo, an accomplished diplomat, understands the importance of this and is sparing no efforts towards maximizing dividends thereof.
A few weeks ago a closure was brought to the disagreement over the two countries’ maritime boundaries when the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruled in favour of Ghana.
Our Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia asked his compatriots to be moderate in relishing the judgement because as he put it, there was no winner or loser in the case. His intervention full of diplomacy was informed by the importance of maintaining the good neighbourliness existing between us. Really, there was no point in allowing the judgement to destroy the relationship binding us together.
We noted that Ghanaians generally conducted themselves well in the aftermath of the judgement and congratulate them on listening to the good counsel of the vice president.
The visit of our guest is a step in the right direction. Coming at the heels of what in some places could have impacted negatively the bond between the two countries, is heartwarming.
It underscores the two countries’ understanding of diplomacy and the importance of good neighbourliness. It is our hope that at the end of the visit today the communiqué that will emanate would be one which would go a long way in creating opportunities for the two countries to explore to their mutual advantage.
With the two countries dominating the cocoa production chart, there are myriad areas they can jointly undertake. Value addition to the crop in the light of the ‘One District, One Factory’ initiative is one area the two can look at so that employment opportunities can be created in their respective countries.