Raggae musician and radio presenter, Abubakar Ahmed popularly known as Black Rasta says he was the reason former President of the United States of America (USA), Barack Obama visited Ghana.
According to Black Rasta, the former USA President came to Ghana after assuming the reigns of governance in the world’s most powerful country to show appreciation to him for a song he had released in honor of him titled ‘Barack Obama’.
“He actually came because of me and I’m so proud to say that everywhere. You can read this from a publication in the Daily Graphic which talks about the real reason Barack Obama visited Ghana. He came just to appreciate me,” he stated boastfully in an Interview on GBC’s current affairs show, Moomen Tonight.
The reggae musician alleged that, prior to Mr. Obama’s visit, some politicians who felt he was indiscreet and was likely to reveal the wrongs of the country’s leaders to the then USA President made relentless efforts to stop him from meeting Mr. Obama.
He said although some government officials particularly the then Vice President, John Dramani Mahama attempted to secure him an invitation to the presidency to meet with the former USA President, the said politicians fiercely resisted it.
He then decided to give up on meeting with Mr. Obama and left for Cape Coast to have a rest following the frustrations by these politicians who were members of the Mills’ government.
But the former USA President demanded to see him when he arrived in Ghana forcing government officials to admit him as one of the dignitaries to meet with Mr. Obama.
“Even before Barack Obama came, I had a very stiff opposition from the politicians who were not ready to give me the opportunity to meet him just because they felt that I’m a talkative, I’m a loose cannon and that I would talk and Barack Obama would pick up a few vibes from me and be discouraged about this country forgetting that some of us are more patriotic than them. So when Obama arrived, right at the airport, he asked for me. So they came under so much pressure to produce me,” he claimed.
Black Rasta recalled that it was the current Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu who placed a phone call to him while he was cooling off in Cape Coast and asked him to return to Accra because Mr. Obama demanded to see him.
The 44th president of the USA paid a two-day visit to Ghana in July 2009 holding bilateral talks with then President, John Evans Atta Mills and visiting tourist sites particularly the Cape Coast castle.
His visit to Ghana was described as historic and an indication of Ghana’s maturity in democratic governance.
Addressing the parliament of Ghana during his visit, Mr. Obama charged African leaders to build strong institutions and not strongmen. His statement has become one of the most frequently quoted statement in the country.
