Mural about impact of illegal migration unveiled in Accra

A mural to create awareness about the impact of illegal migration was unveiled in Accra, on Friday.

A mural is a pictorial artwork or painting on a wall or ceiling.

Dubbed “Access to Information to Young People in Migration”, the mural, an initiative of the United Nations was funded by the Italian Embassy.

It was also jointly done by Ghana Graffiti and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the Country Representative of UNESCO to Ghana, Mr Diallo Abdul Rhamani, noted that the artwork was to educate and sensitize Ghanaians on “illegal migration in the country and enlighten them on its impacts when the right migration procedure is not followed.”

He indicated that pictures told a better story for which reason the UNESCO had partnered for the artwork at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange.

Mr Rhamani further stated that UNESCO Ghana was in partnership with the Ministry of Information, Ghana Journalist Association (GJA), Ministry of Education (MOE), University of Ghana (UG) and the International Organisation of Migration in order to deepen efforts in educating Ghanaians on illegal migration.

For his part, Mr Mohammed Awudu, Co-Founder of Ghana Graffiti, disclosed that the inspiration behind the mural was from him and other artists’ migration stories, adding that it took the efforts of six artists to produce the mural.

He indicated that the “Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange was used because it had become a center for illegal migration,” stressing the need for more discourses on illegal migration in order to eradicate its ills.

Mr Awudu used the opportunity to advise the youth to appreciate their present locations and work hard.

If there was a need to migrate, he encouraged that they used the appropriate channels of traveling.

“Illegal migration is risky and also deadly, not everyone is fortunate to survive that migration. Others tried and died, some also tried and lost parts of their body because of the life-threatening situations they had to endure,” he said.

“So if you want to travel, opt for the proper channels of migration, “he added.

A representative from the Italian Embassy, Alexandra Olivia, said that the Italian Embassy sponsored the project to raise awareness about the issue of illegal migration.

She called for more discussions on the subject matter and urged the media to properly sensitize Ghanaians on the right mode for movement across the country and their attendant merits and demerits. Read Full Story