The President and Provost of Academic City University, Professor Fred McBagonluri, has criticised Ghana’s long-standing reluctance to fully embrace its diaspora community, arguing that the country’s continued resistance to dual citizenship is often driven by weak intellectual arguments rather than evidence-based policy.
In a post shared on his Facebook page, the returnee academic reflected on the fate of hundreds of Ghanaian students who secured scholarships to some of the world’s leading universities between 1960 and 1970, saying Ghana failed to benefit from the immense expertise they later developed abroad.
According to Prof. McBagonluri, many of the students studied at globally renowned institutions including Harvard, Cornell, Berkeley, Yale, Princeton and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), before going on to build distinguished careers in engineering, research and academia.
“Most of them went on to become famous engineers at Bell Labs, NASA and distinguished professors. We never tapped into them,” he stated.
He argued that the political upheaval following the 1966 coup left many of the scholars abandoned overseas, forcing them to build successful careers elsewhere while Ghana missed the opportunity to leverage their knowledge and experience.
“After the 66 coup they were abandoned to the vagaries of fate. Today, they are GOAT in their fields. Ghana lost in that game. They are doing well for themselves,” he wrote.
Prof. McBagonluri further noted that many of the technological innovations shaping modern life, including smartphones and video calling technologies, were developed with contributions from these Ghanaian professionals.
“The smart phones and video calling capabilities we all enjoy come from their contributions. The future is no longer in MINES but in MiNDS,” he said, stressing the need for Ghana to prioritise intellectual capital over dependence on natural resources.
The Academic City University President also urged Ghanaians to abandon what he described as envy and resentment towards citizens living abroad, insisting that members of the diaspora continue to make significant contributions to the country’s development through their hard work and financial support.
“Let’s stop being envious and jealous of our diasporans that continue to feed all of us through real hard work,” he stated.
Addressing the debate on dual citizenship, Prof. McBagonluri argued that opposition to the policy frequently lacks sound intellectual justification.
“The push against dual citizenship often lacks rigorous intellectual arguments,” he asserted.
Drawing comparisons with other countries, he cited China as an example of a nation that has deliberately leveraged the expertise of its diaspora to accelerate national development.
“Nations that embrace their diasporans are succeeding. China is an example. Every Chinese of substance that I worked with was invited home,” he added.
His comments add to the ongoing national conversation about Ghana’s engagement with its diaspora and the role dual citizenship could play in attracting skills, investment and expertise to support the country’s development.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
