Obama comes to Ghana today. Yet, the Obama-craze that flowed through Accra buoyed by Obama faced cloth, souvenirs and even one attention-grabbing "Hotel Obama" hit Ghana weeks ahead of his 24 hour visit.
The decision to make Ghana his first stop in sub-Saharan Africa since becoming President of America is an obvious nod to Ghana's stable government and a slight to its West African neighbor, the economic powerhouse, Nigeria. With massive oil deposits and a large population, why wouldn't Obama make a house call to Nigeria before Ghana? Well, almost everything besides its oil. For instance: corruption, ethnic violence and a lack of good governance. Not to say Ghana doesn't have its smaller but similar problems and a promising oil reserve to boot, but with a successful turn of power from political parties and reputable elections it encompasses the message of hope.
This small West African country went crazy for Obama. Weeks ago I witnessed a 300-person parade in honor of Obama and it was weeks before he even set foot in Africa. His face graced their T-shirts, hats, skirts and banners, often with Ghanaian President Atta-Mills's face reflecting an almost identical profile beside him. The Ghanaian propaganda wasn't very subtle. Messages such as "Obama: WELCOME HOME" made me grimace as a journalist who hears "birthers" in the U.S. claim he isn't American. No matter how many times you tell a Ghanaian that Obama's father was African, but he's African-American, they still feel an insane pride and connection with this man who resembles them. His connection should make him not only a popular icon of hope for Africa but a figure African presidents will listen to. His message needs to address the corruption and lack of accountability prevalent in Africa, starting with its shining star Ghana. Ghana's lesser violence and stronger elections keep it afloat, but a closer look into the police, journalists and government officials shows its flaws and corruption.
