Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has urged Ghanaian businesses to offer jobs to citizens being evacuated from South Africa, where xenophobic attacks have forced hundreds to return home.
In a short message on Facebook, Ablakwa appealed to chief executive officers (CEOs) and entrepreneurs to help create work for returning citizens as part of their reintegration. He said the scheme had already secured 120 job offers, which he called a strong start, and asked interested firms to contact the ministry’s Delivery Unit to pledge employment or other support.
He urged business leaders to “support our jobs initiative” for the returnees and said he was confident the private sector would respond, restating the government’s commitment to caring for Ghanaians in difficult times.
The appeal follows the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa after renewed xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals. President John Dramani Mahama approved the return of 300 distressed citizens, and the first group arrived in Accra aboard a chartered flight on 27 May. More than 800 Ghanaians have registered for voluntary evacuation through the High Commission in Pretoria.
The jobs drive adds to a wider support package the government has announced for returnees. It includes a welcome home financial payment, transport assistance, a reintegration allowance, counselling services and entry into a database for jobs and startup opportunities. Officials say the measures are meant to help the returnees rebuild their livelihoods after weeks of insecurity.
