President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday opened the Ghana Diaspora Celebration and Third Homecoming Summit, with an assurance that the government would soon place before Parliament a bill that would allow Ghanaians with dual citizenship to hold public office.
“The question of the political rights of dual citizens is a matter for Parliament and an opportunity is going to be provided soon Parliament to address this issue,” he told the gathering, which included African and Ghanaian Diasporans in Accra.
The summit was part of the Year of Return to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first 20 West African slaves in the United States.
Tracing the contribution of Diasporans to their home countries all over the world, the President expressed excitement at the decision fo the Office of Diaspora Engagement Policy Bill.
He explained that the bill would deal effectively with all matters affecting overseas Ghanaians, noting that beyond the remittances they send back, they have a crucial role to play towards the growth and development of the country.
He said he expected the bill to be brought before the Cabinet to be worked on expeditiously and laid before Parliament.
He gave the example of China, with an immigration population of 60 million, considered the 25th largest country in the world, with assets worth more than $2.5 trillion, adding that in the 1970s when foreign companies reduced their investments in China, t was the Chinese Diaspora that shored up the economy of that country.
Quoting from the Washington DC-based Migration Policy Institute (MPI), the President said half of the foreign direct investments of $426 billion that transformed China into a manufacturing powerhouse in the 1990s originated from the Chinese Diaspora.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Dr Nduom hopeful defunct GN bank will be restored under Mahama administration
22 minutes -
Bridget Bonnie celebrates NDC Victory, champions hope for women and youth
30 minutes -
Shamima Muslim urges youth to lead Ghana’s renewal at 18Plus4NDC anniversary
2 hours -
Akufo-Addo condemns post-election violence, blames NDC
2 hours -
DAMC, Free Food Company, to distribute 10,000 packs of food to street kids
3 hours -
Kwame Boafo Akuffo: Court ruling on re-collation flawed
3 hours -
Samuel Yaw Adusei: The strategist behind NDC’s electoral security in Ashanti region
3 hours -
I’m confident posterity will judge my performance well – Akufo-Addo
3 hours -
Syria’s minorities seek security as country charts new future
4 hours -
Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo re-appointed as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana
4 hours -
German police probe market attack security and warnings
4 hours -
Grief and anger in Magdeburg after Christmas market attack
4 hours -
Baltasar Coin becomes first Ghanaian meme coin to hit DEX Screener at $100K market cap
5 hours -
EC blames re-collation of disputed results on widespread lawlessness by party supporters
5 hours -
Top 20 Ghanaian songs released in 2024
6 hours