The Minority in Parliament has called on the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to prioritise the safe evacuation of Ghanaians affected by xenophobic attacks in South Africa rather than focusing on public relations activities.
According to the Minority, while communication and public engagement are important, the government’s success should ultimately be measured by its ability to protect and assist citizens caught up in the crisis.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, June 2, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, said the government should place greater emphasis on delivering concrete results instead of what he described as excessive publicity surrounding the evacuation efforts.
He acknowledged that branding, social media updates and the public reception of returnees have their place, but stressed that the main priority must be addressing the challenges faced by Ghanaians living in South Africa.
“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, branding, communication, social media engagement and all the fanfare surrounding the welcoming of returnees are good, but the focus should be on getting the job done,” he said.
The Minority further argued that Ghanaians both at home and abroad are more concerned about the effectiveness of government interventions than the publicity accompanying them.
Mr Jinapor also noted that Ghana has a long-standing reputation for supporting its citizens during difficult times abroad and cautioned against portraying the current evacuation exercise as an unprecedented achievement.
“At the end of the day, what people in Ghana and those in South Africa want is for the government to successfully carry out the evacuation and provide the needed support. Ghana has always demonstrated its ability to respond to the needs of its citizens overseas during times of crisis,” he added.
The comments come as the government continues efforts to evacuate Ghanaians affected by renewed xenophobic attacks in parts of South Africa.
So far, 297 Ghanaians have been evacuated following reports of violence targeting foreign nationals. The attacks have sparked concern across the continent, prompting several governments to take measures to safeguard their citizens.
Meanwhile, the Mozambican government has confirmed that five of its citizens have lost their lives in the ongoing xenophobic violence, highlighting the growing human cost of the unrest.
