Fellow Ghanaians,

I salute you with the greetings of peace in Islam, ASALAMU ALAIKUM.

I am grateful to Almighty God for the gift of life and particularly for bringing us through the difficult Covid period, to be able to celebrate another Eid Festival. It has given me another opportunity to reach out to you.

Eid Ul Adha - the Feast of the Sacrifice - serves to remind us of the sacrifice Prophet Abraham made in obedience to the will of Allah. The new normal which the Covid crisis has imposed on us means that we are unable to celebrate in the usual manner, with close family and friends. While we enjoy the festivities of the season, we should note that the present times call for sober reflection of what it means to submit oneself to the will of God. It requires a deeper understanding of the sense of sacrifice that puts others and our nation first. In honouring the Prophet Abraham, for his submission to the will of God, we must also remember the principle of peace on which Islam is founded, and commit ourselves anew to living in peace within our families, our communities and wherever else we may find ourselves. Collectively let us pride ourselves in the prevailing peaceful atmosphere that exists amongst all religions.

It is unfortunate that due to this menace it is impracticable that the very important Pillar of Islam, cannot be marked, for pilgrims to embark on the Hajj, as has been the norm. But in submission to the will of God at this time, we say, “In shaa Allah”, it will be possible for the Hajj to be undertaken by the next Feast of ‘Eid.

The efforts of all nations to curb the pandemic, to find a vaccine and a cure for the Covid-19 Disease should, by the grace of God, soon yield positive results.

Let us pray for our brothers and sisters who have lost loved ones during this pandemic. May the souls of your loved ones, and all those who have passed away, rest in eternal peace.

Having brought us this far, we pray that the Almighty will continue to give us the strength and fortitude to help us through this trying period as we “co-exist with the CORONA virus”. We join you in continued prayers for life, health and prosperity for all Ghanaian people.

Permit me to remind us all that there has been a resurgence of the virus across Europe recently. As such, the measures put in place by the Embassy to safeguard not only the safety of Staff but the applicants remain the most practicable in these times. Should you have the need to call at the Embassy, we encourage you to observe all these measures in your own interests and the staff who are ready to serve you well. By putting others and our nation first, let us also endeavour to adhere to all the safety measures prescribed by the authorities to enable us successfully fight the pandemic.

We have a lot to be thankful for, especially as the figures relating to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to reduce, and the restrictive measures have been relaxed in accordance with the directives of the Italian government

I wish to thank all Ghanaians for your patience as we have partially resumed Consular Services to the public.

May the Almighty continue to bless our nation Ghana, and make her great and strong.

ASALAMU ALAIKUM.

Eudora Hilda Quartey Koranteng
Ambassador