A minority in parliament has criticized International Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa over what has been described as an “amusement park” state of affairs surrounding the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.
The place of Rating Member of the International Affairs Committee, Samuel Abdullahi Jinapor, significantly pertains to the occasion being held on the Accra Worldwide Airport to obtain the primary batch of 297 evacuees, as one other group is anticipated to reach quickly.
Mr Zinapore mentioned the federal government ought to as a substitute step up efforts to supply aid to nationals stranded in South Africa as assaults on overseas nationals intensify.
“So the overseas minister ought to deal with getting outcomes. He ought to focus much less on public relations and extra on the substantive work.”
“The general public relations factor is all good, the branding is all good. The communications, the social media, all the thrill of welcoming individuals and singing songs, all that stuff. However on the finish of the day, what individuals need, whether or not it is our compatriots right here in Ghana or our compatriots in South Africa, is that we get the job carried out.”
He argued that Ghana has a historical past of evacuating its residents in occasions of disaster, citing previous governments as examples.
“This isn’t the primary time Ghana has carried out this. President Rawlings did it in Liberia and Sierra Leone throughout the civil conflict. His authorities evacuated a whole bunch and 1000’s of Ghanaians, however we did not have an amusement park,” he mentioned.
“Beneath President Akufo-Addo, we evacuated individuals from Ukraine throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We evacuated practically 9,000 individuals. The variety of people who the Ministry of International Affairs is presently coping with is about 300. The Ministry of International Affairs deserves credit score for having the ability to repatriate some Ghanaians, however that’s solely the primary flight.”
Mr Ginapore additional mentioned that roughly 1,500 Ghanaians are nonetheless registered and looking for refuge in South Africa, and expressed concern over studies that registrations have been suspended.
“Pure questions are requested: Why was registration suspended? When will it’s reinstated? What logistical constraints led to the suspension? What measures are being taken to guard registrants whereas they continue to be registered?” he requested.
He careworn the necessity for the federal government to prioritize concrete motion over propaganda.
“We must always downplay the PR and noise a bit and deal with the substantive work that can deliver aid to Ghanaians in South Africa.”
