The Minority in Parliament has urged the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to prioritise the safety, welfare and evacuation of Ghanaians affected by ongoing xenophobic attacks in South Africa, rather than what it describes as excessive publicity surrounding the government’s response.
According to the Minority, Ghana has a long-standing record of successfully evacuating and supporting its citizens during crises abroad, and the recent repatriation efforts should not be portrayed as an extraordinary achievement.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, June 2, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, called on government to intensify measures to provide relief, protection and support for Ghanaians caught up in the violence.
He stressed that the focus should remain on delivering meaningful assistance to affected citizens, rather than on ceremonial displays and media attention around the evacuation exercise.
“The Minister for Foreign Affairs should focus on delivering, he should focus on the substantive work and pay less attention to public relations. Public relations is all well and good. Branding is all well and good. Communication and social media and all of the razzmatazz of welcoming people and singing are all well and good.
“But at the end of the day, what people are looking out for here in Ghana and those in South Africa is that we get the job done. As I have said repeatedly, this is not the first time Ghana has done this. Ghana is reputed to be capable of reaching out to its citizens abroad when they face difficulties,” he said.
His comments come after nearly 300 Ghanaians were evacuated from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals in parts of the country.
The attacks have raised concern across the continent, prompting several African governments to take steps to safeguard their citizens and facilitate the return of those seeking refuge from the violence.
