Prez. Buhari to visit Ghana today

• Posted on September 7, 2015
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

President Muhammadu Buhari will arrive in Accra today, his maiden official visit to the country since assuming the leadership of Africa’s most populous nation.

Details about the one-day visit appear sketchy perhaps for security reasons, but DAILY GUIDE has learnt that the retired General who assumed the leadership of Nigeria for the second time – this time though democratically – will today touch down before 1pm.

Unconfirmed sources in Abuja told DAILY GUIDE that the Nigerian leader will use his meeting with his Ghanaian counterpart to push for the repatriation of about $750 million to $1 billion loot they suspect officials of the immediate past administration stashed in Ghana earlier this year.

Since his assumption in May, President Buhari has been waging a relentless battle against corruption, with appointees of the Jonathan administration offering to return the loots in exchange for freedom. The battle has been yielding a positive result, including a promise from the US authorities to return Nigerian loots.

He would be met at the Kotoka International Airport by his Ghanaian counterpart, President John Dramani Mahama, who is likely going to be joined by National Security Advisor Baba Kamara, Ghana’s immediate past High Commissioner to Nigeria and Service Commanders.

He would, as protocol demands, inspect a guard of honour to be mounted by a detachment of one of the services of the Ghana Armed Forces.

Also to receive him would be members of the various Nigerian ethnic groupings in Ghana such as the Arewa community made up of Hausas, the Yoruba community and individual top ranking Nigerians in the banking industry and others who have been asked to converge on the Nigerian High Commissioner’s residence to receive their head of state.

Prominent among those to receive him are members of his political party, the All-Progressive Congress (APC) – the political grouping which wrested power from the Goodluck Jonathan-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

President Buhari and his host, DAILY GUIDE has learnt, would hold a closed-door meeting during the visit.

Ghana and Nigeria are both former colonies of the British Crown, sharing similarities in many areas.

Ghana, until after independence, was home of the Regular Officer Training School (ROTS) – now Ghana Military Academy – where young cadet officers from both countries undertook their preliminary pre-commissioning training before proceeding to Sandhurst in the United Kingdom for completion.

There have been intermarriages between the nationals of the two countries dating back to over a hundred years.

President Mahama was a bosom pal of Buhari’s predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, but since in politics, as it is said, there are no permanent friends but interests, the reason behind the visit is left to speculations; and there is no shortage of them.

By A.R. Gomda