President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, is scheduled to arrive in Kingston, Jamaica for an official state visit on Sunday (August 2).
President Mahama will be a special guest of the Government of Jamaica for the nation’s Emancipation and Independence commemorations.
During his visit, he is expected to meet with Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen; Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness; Opposition Senator, Donna Scott-Mottley, who will represent the Leader of the Opposition and other key Government officials.
Jamaica’s engagement with President Mahama and his team will begin with an official welcome ceremony, to be held at King’s House on Monday (August 3).
The ceremony will be livestreamed by the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) at https://youtube.com/live/SMKiWjmLNOQ?feature=share, beginning at 9:15 a.m.
Following the ceremony, President Mahama will call on the Governor-General and Her Excellency, the Most. Hon. Lady Allen, before engaging in bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Holness.
Both leaders will subsequently address the media during a press conference to be held at the Office of the Prime Minister at midday.
President Mahama will later participate in the Reparations Dialogue at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Regional Headquarters before rounding out day one of his official engagements, with a visit to Independence Village at the National Arena, where he will be received by Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange.
On day two of his visit, the President will participate in a floral tribute at the shrine of National Hero, the Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey, attend a joint sitting of the Houses of Parliament and visit the Ghanaian Village Houses at Seville Heritage Park in St. Ann.
The Ghanaian Village consists of two African traditional houses, which were erected as a symbol of the strong historical and cultural ties between Jamaica and Ghana.
President Mahama and his team are expected to depart the island on Wednesday (August 5).
His visit follows that of Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in January.
Mr. Ablakwa undertook a three-day official visit to Jamaica, during which he engaged with his colleague minister, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, called on the Prime Minister and visited with 54 Ghana Defence Force personnel who were providing support to Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.
Jamaica and Ghana have enjoyed over five decades of diplomatic relations, built on deep historical ties that date back to the arrival of enslaved Africans in Jamaica from the Gold Coast, which encompasses present-day Ghana.
In May, on behalf of the Government and people of Jamaica, Senator Johnson Smith, handed over a collection of cultural artefacts and a copy of Jamaica’s Emancipation record to the museum at Cape Coast Castle in Ghana.
The handover took place during the Minister’s official visit to Ghana for the Third Session of the Jamaica-Ghana Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation, held in Accra.
The visit culminated with Jamaica and Ghana renewing their formal cooperation agenda after more than two decades, through the resumption of the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation and the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) for Cooperation in health and defence.
Jamaica was also among 123 countries who supported the adoption of a Ghana-led United Nations Resolution endorsing the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialized Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity.
