President Akufo-Addo with President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel
President Akufo-Addo had cause to remember the prediction of former Cuban strongman that he would become President of Ghana one day.
He remembered Commandante Fidel Castro’s prediction during his official visit to the Caribbean nation last Thursday, something which made interesting digestion by both his hosts and members of his delegation.
The prediction, he recalled, was made when he led a delegation to Havana in 2006 as Foreign Minister.
He said he had the opportunity to meet Fidel Castro during the Ghana-Cuba Permanent Joint Commission for Co-operation.
Recalling that time in history, President Akufo-Addo said: “In that meeting, he
made a prediction about an aspect of my life, which has since come to pass. I
lost track of time in the meeting with him, and soon realised that I was going to
miss my flight,” he said during bilateral talks with President Miguel
Diaz-Canel, as part of his official visit to Cuba.
It was an interesting story in a country where the man he was remembering is held in high esteem.
Continuing, he said: “Then, in his still, calm but assured voice, Fidel Castro said to me words I remember to this date, and I quote, ‘Don’t worry. Even if you miss your flight, there is another at a later time today. Don’t be in a hurry to leave because I might not have the opportunity to meet you again. One thing I can tell you is that you will be president of your country one day.”
It would appear that the late Fidel Castro, who bonded very well with Ghana during his lifetime, predicted the President’s rise even before some Ghanaian men of God.
“It took me 10 years to see that prediction realised, and I am sad I
could not have the opportunity to come back and tell him, ‘Commandante, your
prediction has come to pass.’ May the soul of Fidel Castro rest in peace.”
President Akufo-Addo saluted the memory of a man, whose love for Africa was genuine; his hand of friendship stretched to a continent whose descendants constitute part of the Cuban population due to the slave trade.
The President was upbeat about an augmentation of the level of trade between the two countries, as he searched for areas for further collaboration.
Cuba has hundreds of Ghanaian students studying in various institutions, mostly in medicine, veterinary medicine and pharmacy, among other disciplines.
Ghana and Cuba have maintained diplomatic links since 1959.
“Six hundred (600) Ghanaian students have been given scholarships by the Cuban government since the year 2000, with some three thousand (3,000) Ghanaians benefitting from this arrangement in previous years. I am glad to note that during this visit, new arrangements have been concluded to cover 200 more Ghanaian students to study medicine here,” he said.
The President continued: “The cooperation between our two countries is being
extended to the eradication of malaria, and soon through a joint venture
agreement with Labiofam S.A., a bio-larvicide factory will be established in
Savelugu in the Northern Region of Ghana.
“Ghana’s cocoa liquor would soon be sold to the Stella S.A. chocolate factory in Cuba and we want to examine the possibility of Stella S.A. establishing a manufacturing facility in Ghana.”
By A.R. Gomda