Ghana’s newly appointed Honorary Consular General in Lebanon, Mr. Ali Sammeh Jaafar, has charged Ghanaians to work together as the surest way to surmount challenges that confront the country.
According to him, collaboration often generates a bigger pool of ideas which often lead to a broader source of solutions.
Mr. Ali Jaafar was speaking as the Special Guest of Honour at the 65th Independence Day anniversary celebration organized by GHANBATT 88 for the contingent and friends of Ghana in Lebanon.
He described the past 65 years as a period which has seen the transformation of a young country to the status of a beacon of democracy in Africa in spite of all the challenges, he lauded Ghana for the enviable achievements, and recalled the journey as one filled with a rich history and humbling lessons.
Pledging to work assiduously to boost bilateral relations between both countries, Mr. Jaafar who began his official duties in September 2021, intimated his focus on boosting opportunities for businesses in Ghana and Lebanon while expanding export and trade in both markets.
To further this cause, Mr Jaafar has held a number of consultations with Lebanese government officials and private business entities to advance Ghana’s interest.
“Ghana has a vibrant, dynamic and strong Lebanese business community with strong historical links, supporting developments in the country’s hospitality, industrial and infrastructure sectors,” he stated.
The diplomat, who has been using his vast business experience to leverage support for both Lebanese and Ghanaian businesses, has had interactions with senior representatives from the Government of Ghana and Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen and broaden the mutually prosperous Ghana-Lebanon partnership.
As part of his official responsibilities, Mr Jaafar has partnered with Ghana’s High Commission in Cairo to resolve a number of consular-related issues involving stranded Ghanaian citizens in Lebanon.
It would be recalled that in January, this year, Mr. Jaafar and the High Commission successfully secured the safe repatriation of three (3) Ghanaian nationals who travelled to Lebanon with fake documents. Previously, Ghanaians apprehended under similar circumstances were thrown into jail with harsh sentences and kept in poor prison conditions. In addition, they secured the safe return of some sixteen Ghanaian citizens and their dependents from Lebanon who arrived in Accra in the first week of March.
Last month, Mr. Jaafar joined Ghana’s Ambassador to Egypt, Lt General Obed Akwa (RTD) to officially commission Ghana’s Consular offices in Beirut.
Ambassador Akwa and Mr. Jaafar later paid a working visit to the command of Ghana’s contingent on UN Peacekeeping operations in Al Quawzah, Southern Lebanon, where Mr. Jaafar underscored the role of Ghanbatt 88 in ensuring peace in Lebanon and for that matter advancing world peace.
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