Prague-based organisation honours Presidents Mahama of Ghana and Kagame of Rwanda

For granting visa-on-arrival to all Africans in their respective countries, Ghana’s President John Mahama and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame have been bestowed an award for African Leadership and Excellence by Humanitas Afrika.

According to the African-Czech organisation based in Prague, “Boundaries and borders barricading African countries into sovereign states as in present-day Africa is no doubt a legacy borne out of colonialism and neo-colonialism. Many Africans believe that unrestricted movement of people and goods is a catalyst for accelerated progress and development of the continent”.

The organisation therefore has deemed it necessary “to recognise, appreciate, celebrate and honour African leaders, institutions and individuals whose policies and initiatives give greater freedom and progress to the African people and advance the course of African unity and development”.

Presidents Mahama and Kagame promote free movement of Africans in Africa with their visa-on-arrival policies. Ghana begun to offer visas on arrival to citizens of all 54 African Union member states on 1 July. Ghana is the third country in the continent after Mauritius and Rwanda to allow visas on arrival for all Africans.

The Director of Humanitas Afrika, Kofi Nkrumah, travelled to Ghana recently to present the African Leadership and Excellence Award to President Mahama at the Flagstaff House in Accra, the seat of Ghana’s government.

The award was received on behalf of the president by his chief of staff, Julius Debrah, and other senior officials of the presidency. Also present at the event was renowned journalist Baffour Ankomah, editor-at-large of the London-based New African magazine, his wife Elizabeth, and Emmanuel Hayford, the co-ordinator of Humanitas Afrika in Ghana.
The award will be presented to President Kagame in Kigali early next year.

Edward Apau