President John Dramani Mahama continued his historic state visit to Jamaica on Tuesday with a series of high-profile engagements that underscored the deep historical, cultural and Pan-African bonds between Ghana and Jamaica.
The day began with a solemn visit to the shrine of Jamaica’s National Hero, The Right Honourable Marcus Mosiah Garvey, at the National Heroes Park in Kingston. In recognition of the shared Pan-African heritage and the enduring legacy of Garvey’s philosophy of Black pride, self-determination and African unity, President Mahama laid a wreath at the shrine, paying tribute to one of the most influential figures in the global Pan-African movement.
Following the wreath-laying ceremony, President Mahama and his delegation proceeded to the Jamaican Houses of Parliament, where he delivered a historic address to a Joint Meeting of the Senate and the House of Representatives at the George William Gordon House.
In his address, the Ghanaian leader highlighted the longstanding historical relationship between Ghana and Jamaica, reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Jamaica and the wider Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and called for deeper collaboration in trade, education, culture, investment and the global reparations agenda.
At the conclusion of the parliamentary session, President Mahama signed the official Visitors’ Book, assisted by the Clerk of the Houses of Parliament, in the presence of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, marking another significant milestone in Ghana-Jamaica diplomatic relations.
President Mahama later travelled to Seville Heritage Park in St. Ann, where he toured the preserved Ghanaian Village Houses. The site stands as a powerful reminder of the shared ancestry between the people of Ghana and Jamaica, preserving the legacy of enslaved Africans who were taken from the Gold Coast and other parts of West Africa to the Caribbean.
