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Accra:
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has defied international
sanctions to host Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the
last leg of his three-nation West African tour that also took him
to Benin and Niger.
Though government sources have painted a favourable picture of the
visit Tuesday and Wednesday, it was, however, low key because it
did not attract the usual number of heads of missions to welcome a
visiting president.
The ambassadors of the US and of the European Union countries were
conspicuously absent.
During Ahmadinejad's visit, Mahama alluded to the "historic
relationship" that exists between the two countries from the days
the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was formed and cited this as the
reason for allowing the visit.
"We have welcomed President Ahmadinejad to Ghana as we would any
president that decides to come to Ghana," he said.
Ahmadinejad, as the current NAM chairman, had the right to come to
Ghana, the president said.
There were, however, some misgivings because the decision to allow
Ahmadinejad's visit came at a time when the Ghanaian Supreme Court
is yet to rule on the December 2012 presidential election results
that declared Mahama the winner.
Political analysts say the case is a major test of the country's
democracy.
As the Supreme Court sits on the case, Mahama celebrated his first
100 days in office and has got parliamentary approval for his
cabinet.
The petition against Mahama was filed before the Supreme Court by
the leader of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo
Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and two other members of the party.
Thus, Mahama's hosting Ahmadinejad is being seen by analysts as a
bid by a beleaguered leader to assert his authority.
He defended the decision by saying: "Ghana has a historic
relationship with Iran and both countries have been key players in
the Non-Aligned Movement. However, there have been other
dimensions to President Ahmadinejad's trip."
Ahmadinejad's visit to Niger has been explained as an attempt to
secure uranium supplies from a country said to be the fourth
largest producer in the world, while the visit to Benin is being
seen to provide access to the country's port which is used by
landlocked Niger.
In Ghana, Ahmadinejad held bilateral talks and signed agreements
for cooperation in educational, agriculture, tourism and youth and
sports.
Iran also offered to train undergraduates in petroleum and
petrochemical engineering, said Ghanaian Information and Media
Relations Minister Mahama Ayariga.
There was also an agreement to collaborate in disaster management
and narcotics control.
Ayariga said another aspect of the visit was that the two
presidents agreed on the need to further enhance consultations
aimed at achieving world peace.
"Presidents Mahama and Ahmadinejad unanimously condemned any act
of terrorism anywhere in the world and urged that differences
should be resolved through dialogue," he said.
Though there has been international condemnation of Ahmadinejad
for engaging in terror, the Iranian president denied the
accusations at a press briefing before his departure.
"Iran has never attacked any Western country. What has happened
over the years is the decision by the West to surround Iran by
troops," Ahmadinejad said.
He said the accusations against Iran stem from the country's
decision to break free from colonial domination.
Ahmadinejad described the sanctions as a price that his country
had to pay for deciding to preserve its independence.
"The pressures that have been imposed on the country have created
problems but not halted our progress," he said.
In spite of these provocations, he said, Iran was making progress
and that the sanctions against his country have not achieved the
desired results.
"Before the sanctions, Iran was producing only 32 million tonnes
of cement a year. The country currently produces 80 million
tonnes, and has become a major exporter," Ahmadinejad said.
He said Iran has also increased its steel production from nine
million tonnes a year before the sanctions to 20 million tonnes
now.
The country is now making use of nuclear energy in agriculture,
energy and health, he said.
"After the imposition of sanctions, we have launched satellites
into space and the rate of scientific research has also increased
and improved the country's achievement in nanotechnology,
biotechnology as well as increased the country's per capita income
from $3,000," Ahmadinejad added.
Though Ahmadinejad has come and gone, analysts say the political
fallout, especially from Europe and the US is likely to have some
effects on Ghana's foreign policy.
(Francis Kokutse can be contacted at fkokutse@hotmail.com)
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