The leader of the Aggrieved South Africa Evacuees, Michael Addo, has condemned what he describes as the public humiliation of Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa, accusing sections of society of disregarding their trauma under the guise of demanding accountability.
According to him, the ongoing controversy surrounding the evacuation exercise has compounded the emotional distress of returnees and discouraged further appeals for government assistance.
“While we bravely recover from our trauma and pain, the very society we expect to protect us has reduced our pain to humiliation under the guise of seeking accountability,” he lamented.
His concerns come amid growing public scrutiny of the government’s reported GH¢49.72 million expenditure on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa.
Mr Addo disclosed that 46 Ghanaians who were expected to be part of the evacuation exercise remain stranded in South Africa, but the controversy circulating on social media has made it difficult to seek further government intervention.
“We have other brothers and sisters who are still over there who are willing to come. Currently, we still have 46 people who were supposed to be on the flight, but because of what is currently spreading on social media, we don’t even have the balls to beg the government to go and rescue them,” he stated.
He further accused some elements within the Minority, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and sections of the media of attempting to establish wrongdoing against the government.
Mr Addo also questioned allegations surrounding financial assistance and relief packages reportedly provided to the evacuees, insisting that journalists who witnessed their arrival at the airport could attest to their circumstances.
He consequently demanded an immediate end to what he described as baseless attacks against the returnees and the government.
“We are here to seek answers and demand an immediate end to the baseless attacks on us and the government that was sympathetic towards us,” he declared.
Expressing appreciation for the government’s intervention, Mr Addo said many Ghanaians had endured xenophobia in South Africa for years without receiving similar assistance.
“We have experienced xenophobia for many years, but this is the first time a government has taken our plight into account and come to our rescue,” he added.
He maintained that the pursuit of accountability should not come at the expense of the dignity and well-being of evacuees, particularly when other Ghanaians remain in need of assistance.
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