Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has criticised the government’s handling of the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa, accusing officials of focusing more on publicity than the welfare of citizens still stranded abroad.
The Damongo MP argued that while the arrival of the first batch of evacuees has been widely publicised, nearly 1,500 Ghanaians are reportedly still awaiting evacuation.
“Public relations is all well and good. Branding is all well and good. Welcoming people and singing is all fine. But, at the end of the day, what people are looking for is that we get the job done,” Jinapor told journalists in Parliament.
He questioned reports that registration for stranded nationals seeking evacuation had been suspended and called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explain the reasons behind the move.
Jinapor also demanded clarity on the government’s plans to protect and evacuate the hundreds of Ghanaians who remain in South Africa amid ongoing concerns over xenophobic attacks.
The opposition lawmaker compared the current exercise to previous large-scale evacuation operations undertaken by Ghana during major crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war and civil conflicts in West Africa.
“We evacuated almost 9,000 people, not 300,” he said.
While acknowledging the efforts made to organise the first evacuation flight, Jinapor insisted that the real measure of success should be the number of citizens safely returned home rather than media attention surrounding the exercise.
His comments add to growing pressure on the government as calls intensify for faster action to assist Ghanaians who remain stranded in South Africa.
Jinapor urged authorities to focus on what he described as the “substantive work” of ensuring the safe return of all affected citizens.
