Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, has disclosed that Ghana is the first African country to have evacuated some Ghanaians and students from war-torn Ukraine, per information available to him.
Addressing the media today, March 1, 2022, Mr Apratwum-Sarpong welcomed the first batch of students to make their way into the country and indicated that these students will soon be reconciled with their families. Following this, he expressed gratitude to the leadership of the students in Ukraine who worked with officials at the various missions to make it possible for them to be evacuated.
Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong disclosed that the government is determined to continue to ensure that students who are still in transit, in the process will eventually find their way home.
“Welcome. We thank the Almighty God that he has been with you and seen you through and brought you home… Now, there is one important thing that we need to score. Information coming in indicates that Ghana is the first African country to have been able to evacuate some of their compatriots and some of their students. So, at least, if not for anything at all, the government of Nana Akufo-Addo has scored the first”.
Kwaku Apratwum-Sarpong
The Deputy foreign affairs minister explained that the minister will be meeting the relatives of affected Ghanaians who have been caught up in this unfortunate situation in Ukraine to address them on efforts to get them back to Ghana safely. He noted that, in the interim, government is doing its best to “encourage Russia to stop their attacks and their atrocities that they are meting out on the citizens of Ukraine”.
“We also want to go on record to thank the International Migration Organisation for the support that they have given and we also want us all to remember our compatriots who have so far not been able to be evacuated”.
Kwaku Apratwum-Sarpong
Some Ghanaians yet to be evacuated
Commenting on the remaining number of Ghanaians in Ukraine, Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong expressed that about 500 Ghanaians who’ve managed to cross from Ukraine to other neighbouring countries, especially Poland, Romania, Hungary, Moldova and Slovakia are yet to be evacuated. He intimated that the others will also be able to cross over to “Russian territory” in anticipation of being evacuated.
“Government has laid plans to evacuate every student and every Ghanaian who is prepared and ready to come home. We have liaised very well with Qatar Airways [and] Turkish Airlines and they have agreed that any Ghanaian who has crossed to any of these countries where they do fly will be flown home within the next couple of days”.
Kwaku Apratwum-Sarpong
Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong called for collective prayers for the safe arrival of Ghanaians who are yet to be evacuated. Students, on the other hand who have arrived in the country, thanked government for the evacuation efforts made to see them reunite with their families.
Prior to this, there had been calls by the National Union of Graduate Students (NUGS) for government to expedite the process of evacuating students from Ukraine. NUGS met with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, February 24, 2022, to deliberate on how to evacuate Ghanaian students in Ukraine following tensions between that country and Russia.
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