Africa-Press – Ghana. Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has celebrated President John Dramani Mahama for wearing the typical Ghanaian fugu attire on his trip to Lusaka, Zambia.
He said the President’s the fugu was a vibrant expression of their cultural heritage and identity as Africans.
The issue of President Mahama’s adornment on Wednesday upon his arrival in Lusaka Zambia at the invitation of his Zambian counterpart President Hakainde Hichilema, has generated a wide social media debate between Ghanaian youth and their Zambian counterpart.
Speaking at the Ghana-Zambia Business Dialogue in Lusaka, Mr Ablakwa, who was adorned in a colourful Ghanaian Fugu, said “From the outset, let me advertise my President’s favorite attire, the fugu. We are all excited about the buzz that the President’s deliberate choice of apparel has created.”
He said the fugu had triggered a renaissance in what the Osagyefo for Dr Kwame Nkrumah described as the African personality that they should reclaim the African identity, the African dignity and the African culture.
“When we talk about restitution and we talk about reparations, it is not just compensation for the transatlantic slave trade, but it is a certain conscious mental effort to go back to our roots, to go back to identity because they did not only seek to enslave us, they sought to rob us of our unique identity, of our unique dignity, and of our unique traditions,” he said.
“And that is why we celebrate our African Presidents who are continuing that charge, the charge of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the charge of the founder of Zambia, President Kenneth Kaunda.”
Mr Ablakwa noted that for the young ones on social media who want to know more about the fugu, this was the attire the founder of Ghana, Osage for Dr. Kwame Nkrumah wore, when he declared independence on the 6th of March, 1957 in Ghana.
He said there, Dr Nkrumah made a profound statement that the independence of Ghana was meaningless, unless it was linked up with the total liberation of Africa.
He said Ghana was the first African country South of the Sahara to attain independence.
“He (Dr Nkrumah) said it is meaningless unless it is linked with the total liberation of the African continent,” Mr Ablakwa said.
He noted that that was why Ghana became the haven, the headquarters for the independence struggle.
The Foreign Minister said the founder of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda was in Accra, worked closely with Osaggefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
He explained that it was therefore not surprising that in 1964 when Zambia eventually won its independence struggle, Ghana was the first African country to recognise formally the independence of Zambia and establish diplomatic relations with Zambia.
Touching on the Ghana-Zambia Business Dialogue, Mr Ablakwa said they were meeting as business communities, FinTech leaders, as part of their business model, they needed to support their precedents in this renaissance.
“It will be beautiful to see FinTech companies invest in logistics that will lead to the easy movements, the easy transportation of our unique, beautiful fabrics and traditional wares or cultural wares from one country to the other.”
Mr Chipoka Mulenga, the Zambia Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, said they had seen in the last few days when President Mahama landed in Lusaka, their social media had been taken awashed with an amazing attire, which he landed with, the fugu.
He urged Ghana to produce more Fugu for export to other parts of Africa.
