Former T&T High Commissioner to Ghana Nyahuma Mentuhotep Obika says it is "disrespectful" for banker Robert Le Hunte to return the citizenship bestowed on him by the government of Ghana.
Obika fears that there will be diplomatic fall out as a result of what he deemed "a slap in the face" for the Ghanaian Government, he said "you don't give it back, is not a shirt you borrow from somebody. This is the country's identity."
Le Hunte took the oath of office as Minister one week ago, but four days later Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley indicated that the appointment was in breach of section 42(1) of the Constitution and advised the President that Le Hunte could not serve as a Senator because information had come to him that Le Hunte had Ghanaian citizenship.
Rowley told reporters on Tuesday "there was a communication glitch." He did not explain what the glitch was and why the information only to came to him about Le Hunte's Ghanaian citizenship after he took the oath of office.
Le Hunte has since returned to Ghana to revoke his Ghanaian citizenship. The Prime Minister said he expected that would be done by tomorrow and once that is completed Le Hunte will again take the oath as Public Utilities Minister, until then Rowley will re-assume duties as Public Utilities Minister.
Obika told the T&T Guardian that Le Hunte was bestowed the citizenship by the Ghanaian government in December 2016 as part of a policy of recognition by that government introduced by President Kwame Entuma to offer citizenship to Africans in the diaspora.
Le Hunte, he said, was given the second recognition by the government of Ghana on March 6 on the country's 60th anniversary of independence, when he said the Ghanaian government wanted to give special recognition and "one of the awards was for the diaspora in terms of investment."
Obika said Le Hunte was selected "as the Managing Director of Republic Bank Ghana for having brought in the largest foreign direct investment portfolio with the purchase of the HFC Bank by Republic Bank to the tune of over US$700,000 into the Ghanaian economy."
"So he got a second recognition by the government of Ghana for this direct foreign investment, notwithstanding that others as well like Jamaica have several companies in Ghana and what have you."
Both the citizenship and the subsequent award, he said, caused Caricom nationals from Jamaica, Barbados and even Trinidad and Tobago who had been living in Ghana for over 50 years "to become very upset that they were bypassed, especially for the honour of citizenship of Ghana."
The bestowing of the citizenship by the government of Ghana, he said, "is a very serious thing. Africans take very strong pride in a title and all of this is a very serious matter for them to do that."
Obika fears there will be fall out from Le Hunte's decision to give up the citizenship. He said "here it is you being given citizenship, being honoured on their 60th anniversary and now you have gone to give it back to them. You going to throw back the citizenship in their faces. This is going to have a serious negative impact on Republic Bank's presence in Ghana and will upset diplomatic relations between the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the Republic of Ghana."
He said "this is going to hurt Ghanaians very deeply. I am telling you this will be a sad blow. It is a royal mess, a sad blow to relations between Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago."
Obika said he personally was "very very upset about this situation," because as High Commissioner he "played a significant role in Republic Bank's effort to obtain HFC Bank."
Asked whether the process for renunciation of the Ghanaian citizenship would be as quick as envisaged by the Prime Minister and the situation could be resolved by tomorrow, Obika could not say but indicated that "it is not something that happens on a regular basis." The T&T Guardian sent a message to this country's honorary counsel in Ghana, Hilton John Mitchell, but he said he was in meetings all day and unable to talk.