Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, has told the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to focus on the evacuation of Ghanaians and stop the PR and social media razmatazz.
According to Abu Jinapor, Ablakwa must focus on the substantive work and pay less attention to public relations and social media razmatazz.
He, however, urged the government to intensify efforts aimed at providing relief, support and protection for affected Ghanaians.
Abu Jinapor highlighted that the primary focus should be on ensuring that those impacted by the violence are supported rather than highlighting ceremonial aspects of the evacuation exercise.
The NPP MP argued that the successful repatriation of Ghanaian citizens from conflict or crisis zones is commendable but should not be portrayed as an exceptional achievement, citing that Ghana has consistently demonstrated its ability to evacuate its citizens during emergencies over the years.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, June 2, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, explained, “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. PR is all well and good. Branding is all well and good. Communication and social media, and all the razmatazz of welcoming people and singing and all of those 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. And as I have said repeatedly, this is not the first time Ghana has delivered on this. Ghana is reputed to be capable as a country of reaching out to its compatriots outside when they have difficulties.”
Meanwhile, the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria has announced the temporary suspension of registration for the ongoing voluntary repatriation exercise for Ghanaians in South Africa.
The statement issued announced that the suspension takes effect on June 2, 2026.
According to the High Commission, the decision is to allow officials to process and screen the large number of applications already received.
They further disclosed that more than 1,500 Ghanaians have so far registered.
The Commission promised applicants yet to register that another registration phase will be announced in due course.
“The date of the next phase for new registration will be communicated in due course,” the statement said.
In related news, President John Mahama has, for the first time, spoken about the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa amid xenophobic attacks.
According to John Mahama, Ghana had no option but to evacuate its citizens, arguing that the situation left many displaced foreigners vulnerable, including nearly 200 Ghanaians.
He added that they felt that the South African authorities were not doing enough to try to control what was happening.
Speaking at Chatham House in London on June 1, 2026, President Mahama explained, “It didn’t look like the South African authorities were doing anything to try to quell what was happening and also to provide protection to those who had been displaced”.
“There were even forays into health institutions, and if you were not South African, you were asked to leave the hospital even if you were ill,” he said.
“We had no option but to evacuate our citizens. We’re going to do two more to take those who want to leave. It is voluntary. We asked, “Do you want to stay or leave?” And many of them say they feel threatened. And so they want to leave.”
He further called on South African to address the root causes of the violence rather than leave foreign nationals unprotected.
Mahama added, “I think it’s unfortunate what is happening in South Africa. We need to drill down to what causes these flare-ups in terms of xenophobia”.
“And so all of us must empathise with South Africa or must sympathise with South Africa,” he said.
“And we must help South Africa to be able to drill down and find out what it can do to reduce unemployment rates amongst the black populations.”
“After the last fellow African leaves, is it going to change unemployment among blacks in South Africa?” he asked.
Most water retention points in Accra have been encroached and filled, worsening the city’s flooding situation, NADMO has revealed.#FloodAlert #Accra #NADMO #GHNow pic.twitter.com/5dP2AAyq4k
— GHnow (@ghnow_) June 2, 2026
