24/01/2007 09:39 - (SA)
Mawusi Afele
Accra - Ghana's illustrious son, former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan, arrived back home on Tuesday to a rousing welcome upon his retirement as UN chief, and already he was being mentioned as a presidential candidate for the West African country. His fans suggested he should do for Ghana what Nelson Mandela did for South Africa after 27 years in prison under apartheid: become president and lead the country out of a period of turmoil. But many Ghanaians also admitted that Annan deserved a good rest after serving at the helm of the world organisation for two terms, ten years that ended on December 31. A welcoming party of hundreds waved flags, led by President John Agyekum Kufuor, to meet Annan, 68, and his wife at Kotoka International Airport, where traditional drummers and dancers extolled his virtues.
Ghanaians waved flags
In the city, workers feverishly added finishing touches to several large billboards being erected in Accra welcoming Annan back home. Politicians, traditional and religious leaders and the general public waved miniature Ghana flags of red, gold and green with a black star in the middle. Annan was to deliver a lecture on Thursday as part of Ghana's golden jubilee celebration, and meet with Kufuor and other leaders through the week. Annan thanked the welcoming throng for "the support and encouragement" he received throughout "these 10 years". Without it, he said, his work would have been "much more difficult". He said: "This has been a wonderful homecoming. We are happy to be home. When my wife and I looked out of the window and saw that you are here in your numbers to welcome us home, we were really, really moved. "It's been a long journey and today I complete the circle and I am really looking forward to sitting down with my compatriots, men and women of Ghana, discussing some of the issues."
Annan encouraged to contest
Annan brought home honours including the Nobel Peace Prize as the second African in 60 years to head the UN after Egyptian Boutros Boutros Ghali, and many of his compatriots were encouraging him to put his experience to work at home. The draftannan2008 campaign team for example wanted Annan "to come and lead us as a nation" and contest the 2008 presidential elections as an independent candidate. One group said: "We need to consolidate and amplify our democratic and economic gains, focusing on sustainable poverty reduction, given his academic qualifications, global experiences and understanding of the causes of poverty and strategies to address them." However, others believed that he needed and deserved a rest. James Victor Gbeho, Ghana's former ambassador to the UN and foreign minister, said Annan should not be given a special role, but should be made to rest.
Annan 'should be allowed to rest'
He said: "I don't think that Mr Annan himself when he comes is coming to look for another job. He has earned the rest, which he must be allowed to take. "He does not have to be given an official appointment in Ghana to be useful ... I think they should allow him to rest. "He probably would be settling down now to write his memoirs and be writing on some issues that are of importance to him. I am quite certain that the academic institutions in America and Europe would be pursuing him to deliver lectures." Annan, whose second term as head of the UN ended December 31, was reported to have turned down suggestions that he should run for president. The draft-Annan movement conceded that Annan deserved an "extended period of rest with his family" after a "gruelling" 10 years at the UN. The group said: "But, there are few opportunities for a nation like Ghana to have a child of his calibre as head of state, just as Nelson Mandela emerged from 27 years of abominable torment to lead his people for one term during the transition from the evil apartheid era."
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