US actor Lou Gossett Jr arrives in Accra Today Nov 30

American Academy Award winner; Louis Gossett Jr, arrives in Accra today, Friday, November 30 for a three-day visit to Ghana.

A prominent member of the diaspora African community, Louis Cameron Gossett Jr, universally acknowledged for his role as Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film, An Officer and a Gentleman.

He was the first African-American male to win an Oscar in a supporting role, the second black male to win for acting, and the third African-American actor to win overall.

Louis Gossett Jr also played roles in famous blockbusters like A Raisin in the Sun, The Deep and Jaws 3-D.

While in Ghana, he will be the guest of the Diaspora African Forum, a group of African Americans in Ghana who have planned a welcome reception for him on Saturday evening at the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre in Accra.

Disclosing this to newsmen, Ambassador Erika Bennett, Head of Mission of the Forum, said the famous actor had been of tremendous support to the Forum.

“As a matter of fact, Louis Gossett Jr is on our board,” she added.

Ambassador Bennet singled out President Akufo-Addo for praise, saying it was he, who as Ghana’s Foreign Minister in the Kufuor Administration, signed the protocols that secured the diaspora Africans diplomatic status recognised by the African Union.

“Ghana has been of tremendous support to our cause; indeed, among us, diaspora Africans, Ghana is considered the most Pan African country on the continent”

Reacting to the news, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, Mrs Catherine Abelema Afeku, situated the actor’s visit within the context of the Year of Return programme initiated by Ghana to mark 400 years of the trans Atlantic Slave Trade which was launched by President Akufo-Addo at the American Press Club in Washington DC in September this year.

She said, “The Year of Return has a spiritual component. When you have the elders in the diaspora such as Louis Gossett, then you know the African resilient spirit is real.

'I do look forward to welcoming him home,” she added.

Ghana is the first to host an AU Embassy for Diaspora Africa, with a full-fledged ambassador recognised by the AU.

Indeed, Ghana has the largest population of diaspora Africans living in its territory, numbering over 5,000, from North and South America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe.

Meanwhile, Rabbi Kohain, Executive Director of the PANAFEST Foundation has, on behalf of people of African descent in the diaspora appealed to the Government of Ghana to expedite action on the Right of Abode law that will qualify people of African descent to make Ghana their home.

Section 17(1) of the Immigration Act 2000, Act 573 provides that a person having the right of abode “shall be free to live and to come and go into and from the country without let or hindrance”.

Among the category of people who qualify to apply are “persons of African descent in the Diaspora”.

Speaking to the media in Accra on behalf of diaspora Africans, however, Rabbi said the Right of Abode concept had been on the books for almost 20 years mainly because of difficulties having to do with the “technical details of making anyone qualify for it.”

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