The Minority in Parliament has criticised the government’s handling of the evacuation of citizens from South Africa, arguing that officials are placing too much emphasis on publicity while hundreds of Ghanaians remain stranded.
The criticism comes after the government welcomed the first group of 297 evacuees at Accra’s international airport as part of an ongoing repatriation exercise. Additional evacuation flights are expected in the coming days.
Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should focus on assisting affected citizens rather than public relations activities surrounding the exercise.
“The minister for foreign affairs should focus on delivering, should focus on substantive work and pay less attention to public relations,” Jinapor said.
While acknowledging the government’s efforts to return some Ghanaians home, the opposition lawmaker said the priority should be addressing the needs of those still awaiting evacuation.
“Communication and social media and all the ceremonies of welcoming people are all fine. But at the end of the day, what people are looking out for is that we get the job done,” he said.
Jinapor noted that Ghana has a history of evacuating citizens from crisis zones, including during the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine, arguing that previous operations were conducted without extensive publicity.
He said nearly 9,000 people were evacuated during the pandemic, compared with the 297 citizens repatriated so far from South Africa.
“It is commendable that the ministry has been able to repatriate some Ghanaians, but as we speak, almost 1,500 Ghanaians are registered in South Africa and are desperate to return home,” he said.
The Damongo legislator also questioned reports that registration for the evacuation programme had been suspended, calling on the government to explain the reasons behind the move and outline support measures for those still stranded.
“Why has it been suspended? When will it resume? What logistical constraints have occasioned the suspension? What measures are being put in place to assist them while they remain in South Africa?” he asked.
Jinapor said the first evacuation flight was a positive step but maintained that the government’s main focus should be ensuring that all affected citizens receive assistance and are brought home safely.
The evacuation exercise is being coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Ghana responds to the deteriorating security situation affecting some of its nationals in South Africa. Further repatriation efforts are expected as more Ghanaians seek to return home.
Source:myjoyonline.com
