The Member of Parliament for North Tongu and a ranking member of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Okudzeto Ablakwa, has intimated that the Ghanaian students evacuated from Ukraine are worried about how to continue their education.

Speaking on his visit to the evacuated students in Romania, he averred that most of them are asking for assurances and requesting for some form of diplomatic efforts to help with their education.

“You know a lot of them are medical students in their 5th and 6th year and they have invested so much into their education. So, they’re asking, what happens to our education? Will all of these years go to waste?”
Okudzeto Ablakwa

Okudzeto on his part assured that efforts will be made to atleast, reach out to their institutions through the Education Ministry of Ukraine to probably offer them an online option to finish their courses whiles they are in Ghana.

FB IMG 1646246660897 — Okudzeto Ablakwa with some of the evacuated students in Romania worried

The North Tongu MP disclosed that although there isn’t any assurance yet, the Bulgarian government has indicated of plans to admit the final year students to see to the completion of their courses. worried

“They will accept their transcripts and the academic work that has been done so that they can be transferred.”
Okudzeto Ablakwa

Okudzeto Ablakwa indicated that in his interaction with the students, who are about 150, their concern also had to do with how to move them out of Romania to Ghana.

“They are all looking forward to it. They miss family, they miss Ghana and the peace and stability that is here. It is also important to emphasize that the Romanians have been such an amazing host.”
Okudzeto Ablakwa

Psychological help will be needed

Okudzeto Ablakwa intimated that the help of psychologists in Ghana will be needed upon the arrival of the students to offer some psychology therapy to them as a result of the trauma they have experienced.

“…so that they will find themselves again after being through this traumatizing situation they find themselves.”
Okudzeto Ablakwa

The North Tongu MP noted that the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament keeps very close relations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and have a meeting scheduled for tomorrow on the next line of action.

“I’m hoping to catch up with the meeting tomorrow so I can bring to bear the discoveries I have made on this visit to enrich the meeting. And see how we can forge partnership and assist in a bi-partisan way to have our compatriots really settled, well rehabilitated and put in a position to finish their ambitions and undertake their dreams.”
Okudzeto Ablakwa

Ablakwa students — Okudzeto Ablakwa with some of the evacuated students in Romania worried

Okudzeto assured that the Parliamentary Committee will work closely with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, other agencies and diplomatic channels to see how citizens can be very well rehabilitated.

Speaking on his visit to Romania, he explained that he thought it wise to visit and see how the citizens were faring, assess their conditions and look at the whole rescue program and how the government intends to finally evacuate all of them back home to safety.

“I thought that it is important particularly in these difficult circumstances, to offer some physical presence and to assist in assuring our students that the entire Ghanaian community is behind them and the entire nation is rallying to their support.”
Okudzeto Ablakwa

The MP stated that this is a time to put partisanship aside for all to rally support for the Ghanaian citizens. He posited that these are students who are very traumatized because they have gone through a situation they never envisaged and its been quite a life changing experience for a lot of them.

“This is a humanitarian crisis we have on our hands. When there is a humanitarian crisis, we all must come together and we all must find solutions.”
Okudzeto Ablakwa