Ibraheem Hamza Muhammad
President of Ghana, Nana Akufor-Addo, on Friday, visited his long time friend, Alhaji Isyaku Ibrahim in his residence, at Asokoro, Abuja.
Alhaji Isyaku Ibrahim is an 85 year-old politician, philanthrophist and a, businessman of international repute who speaks, English, French, German and Russian languages.
The elderstatesman is recuperating at home after he was admitted at a hospital for some days.
The Ghanaian President was received during the visit by Alhaji Musa Liman Kwande, Baraden Lafia and the immediate past chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum, (ACF), Major General Ibrahim Umar Babangida, (rtd) and Dr Musa Ibrahim, retired Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
Similarly, it could be recalled that, few years ago, Alhaji Isyaku Ibrahim said, “The President of Ghana, Barrister Nana Akufor-Addo is my friend for more than four decades. I know his father who also a former President. We later became business partners in France. But being the President, I gave him a surprise visit and went to rejoice with Ghana as it marked its sixtieth independence anniversary which they gained on March 6, 1957. When we met later he told me that during the anniversary luncheon with visiting heads of government and dignitaries, as Nigeria was represented by the Minister of state for foreign affairs, Hajiya Khadija Abba Ibrahim, Olusegun Obasanjo among others, the First lady told him that she spotted me and he told her that she was out of her mind.
“We are very close in Ghana, England and when we established a company in France. I know he was going to receive some visiting heads of states and I went as a personal friend. But his younger brother and the last who we fondly called Sir Edwards because he was christened after their father knew about my visit, but I stayed in a hotel.
“Ghanais now started fighting for independence because there were more colonial masters in Ghana than in Nigeria. Ghana’s exposure led the Mill’s father who was a Governor to go to Britain and demanded that Britain should not ban slave trade. It is noteworthy to know that Most of the elites do not support Kwame Nkrumah because he studied in America and they studied in Britain. They thought American was inferior to Britain academically. But when he was elected from his constituency as a Representative in parliament, being a Westminster parliamentary system of government, his party had the majority of members in the parliament and he became the him Prime Minister and after independence, he declared the country a Republic and became the President. He declared Ghana a socialist nation.
“Ghanaians are more politically conscious than Nigerians. Even when Zik came back from America, he established his press in Ghana, but he was senior to Nkrumah by three years in Lincoln University in America. Nkrumah was a great nationalist. The new President Nana said he “I have never been corrupt, I am not corrupt and I will not be corrupt.” The past administration declared what was left in the coopers and the debt of twelve billion dollars. Nana Addo was minister of Justice during President John Kuffour’s government, he jailed people, his father was the Chief Justice of Ghana, he knows the law, he is trying. He said any corrupt former officials that wants pardon, should announce the amount he will forfeit and return the rest because they government needs money to work. Ghanaians are politically active as told me that he asked for mandate to serve them, and they entrust him and being there servant, he has to fulfill the mandate to serve Ghana.
“I asked to see the first lady, but he told me that she was tired and sleeping, I told him I was hungry. He said he was hungry too, he called his younger brother to make a reservation at a private restaurant outside the presidential palace. I and him went in his car, with a Driver and one orderly, while his brother and another guest followers in another car without siren or extra security escorts to the restaurant. When we entered the restaurant, people wanted to come and greet him because they love him, he said they should sit, he will go round their tables for handshakes and he did. We eat bread which is the food of proletariats, he is a social democrat and I am a scientific socialist.
“Ghanaians are better than us, when Nana Akufor-Addo was declared winner, the opposition and all celebrated, we have a negative attitude in Nigeria, when don’t like ourselves, we don’t respect the law.” Said Alhaji Isyaku Ibrahim.