Stevie Wonder, an African American Music legend, has been conferred Ghanaian citizenship for his profound respect for Ghanaian culture and values and exceptional love and admiration for Ghanaians.
At the conferment ceremony at the Jubilee House on Monday, President Nana Ado Dankwa Akufo-Addo said to honour someone like Steve Wonder is not only about his immense talent and achievements but also his deep connection to the African continent and tireless efforts to promote solidarity and cultural exchanges among all peoples of African descent.
Steve Wonder’s decision to become a citizen of Ghana, according to the President, “is a testament to his profound respect and admiration for our nation’s history, culture and values.”
I am glad he (Steve Wonder) has decided to make Ghana his home, and thereby, join several generations of African diasporans, who committed their lives to us – missionaries, policemen, lawyers, doctors, health workers, writers, artists, musicians, and the likes of George Padmore, close associate of our first President, Kwame Nkrumah.”
Also, the President said, “Bob Marley’s widow, Rita, has found a home with us in Aburi; Maya Angelou, a contemporary of mine at the University of Ghana, Legon, the celebrated writer, who spent a considerable part of her youth with us; and W.E.B du Bois, the great scholar, who also found a home in Ghana, and is buried here.”
Stevie Wonder’s name, the President explained is synonymous with creativity and the transformative power of music.
“Throughout his illustrious career, spanning over six decades, he has not only captivated the hearts and minds of millions around the world with his soulful melodies and unparalleled talent but has also used his platform to champion social justice, equality and human rights.”
President Akufo-Addo said from Steve Wonder’s timeless classics, which have become anthems of hope and inspiration, to his tireless advocacy for the rights of persons with disabilities, the music legend has touched the lives of countless individuals and left an indelible mark on our collective consciousness.
“By conferring Ghanaian citizenship upon him, we not only recognise his immense talent and achievements but also acknowledge his deep connection to the African continent and his tireless efforts to promote unity, solidarity and cultural exchanges among all peoples of African descent. His decision to become a citizen of Ghana is a testament to his profound respect and admiration for our nation’s history, culture and values.”
President Akufo-Addo said, “As we welcome Stevie Wonder into the Ghanaian family, let us draw inspiration from his legacy and strive to build a future where creativity flourishes, diversity is celebrated and the bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood transcend all differences.”
His welcome, according to President Akufo-Addo, represents a vivid manifestation of the goals of the Year of Return, which Ghana commemorated in 2019, as a bridge between the African peoples on both sides of the Atlantic.
“In conferring Ghanaian citizenship upon Stevie Wonder, we not only extend our warmest embrace to a beloved son of Africa but also reaffirm our belief in the enduring spirit of Pan-Africanism and the global African family and the boundless potential of our continent and all its descendants.
“Today’s ceremony brings starkly to mind a favourite and oft-cited statement of the famous Jamaican reggae star, Peter Tosh, who once said, quite rightly, “Don’t care where you come from, as long as you’re a black man, you’re an African.”
“On behalf of the government and people of Ghana, I extend to you, Mr. Stevie Wonder, our heartfelt congratulations and warmest welcome as a citizen of our beloved nation. May your journey as a Ghanaian be filled with joy, fulfilment, and the rich blessings of our common ancestors,”
“May God continue to bless Stevie Wonder and us all, and may God bless Mother Africa and our homeland Ghana, and make them great and strong,” the President ended.
On his part, Steve Wonder said since he was a little boy, “I had always believed in my heart, there was nothing impossible. The spirit of the Most High Our GOD and the years since about 1972, I thought about coming to Ghana to work with the “Tsetse fly and Sleeping blindness.
“I thought about Ghana throughout my years and now over 50 years I thought about being a citizen in this country.
“The truth is I’m committed to and now a Ghanaian citizen, being a part of the fulfilling dream that we have had for so many years of bringing people of Africa, those of the diaspora – United States, Caribbean — all the people together because I have said in many years the only way the world will come together is that we unite as United people of the world.”
Steve Wonder expressed his profound gratitude to the President and the Ghanaian people for accepting him as their own.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
