Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has responded to comments by some Ghanaians who were repatriated from South Africa following alleged xenophobic attacks and have said they “regret coming back” to Ghana after months without the jobs they were promised.
Addressing the Ghanaian community in the Tri-State Area during a town hall meeting on September 25, 2026, Ablakwa said the Mahama-led government would not look on unconcerned when the welfare and dignity of Ghanaians are at stake.
The minister said he had seen media reports and comments from some of the returnees who were evacuated from South Africa following the xenophobic attacks, with some expressing regret over their decision to return to Ghana.
“I’ve heard comments and seen some media reports of one or two people who have said that they have been evacuated back home and they are beginning to regret,” the minister said.
The Minister said although such comments may not be the appreciation government expected after evacuating the returnees from danger, it would not deter the government from prioritising the welfare of Ghanaians.
“If that is the thank you we get, no problem but we are not perturbed. We are going to continue to prioritise the welfare of Ghanaians,” he said.
‘I regret coming back’ – SA returnee speaks after 4 months without promised job
He further noted that once people are rescued from dangerous situations and safely returned home, they are free to express their views and grant media interviews, even if their comments are critical of the government’s efforts, adding that government is unperturbed by such comments.
“When people are recovered from harm’s way, from conflict, from crisis, from xenophobic attacks, and they are back home safely to peaceful and democratic Ghana, they can begin to make all statements, grant media interviews and all of that.
“So, we shall forgive them, and I know President Mahama remains unperturbed. He is going to continue to prioritise the welfare of Ghanaians everywhere in the world,” he said.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs reiterated that the government would continue to respond promptly whenever the safety and dignity of Ghanaians are threatened, regardless of where they are in the world.
“President Mahama’s administration will not look the other way, will not be unconcerned, will not be derelict when the welfare and the dignity of Ghanaians are at stake. His government will respond promptly and will ensure that you are taken out of harm’s way.
“And we are so proud that we have always, in crisis situations under President Mahama’s administration, been the pacesetters. You check everywhere there’s a crisis situation anywhere in the world, the government of Ghana is the first to evacuate its citizens,” he said.
The minister’s comments come after a Ghanaian returnee from South Africa, Kofi Baah, said he regrets returning to Ghana despite receiving GH¢5,000 in support from the government.
Baah, who spoke on Max TV in an interview sighted by GhanaWeb on September 24, 2026, said he has been living with his four children since returning to Ghana and that the money provided by the government has not been enough to meet the needs of his family.
According to him, the promise of employment made to the returnees before their departure from South Africa was a major factor that convinced many of them to return to Ghana.
“Initially, when we returned to Ghana, the government made arrangements for us, including the money received. Out of that amount, I rented an apartment. The minister had promised to give us jobs, and that was the main reason why most of us left South Africa,” he disclosed.
However, Baah said that four months after their return, the jobs promised to them had not materialised despite the returnees submitting their CVs as requested.
“It has been four months since our arrival, and we haven’t heard from the government. They have asked us to send our CV, but there has been no response. Anytime I call to ask about the jobs, the response I get is that they have given our details to companies, but nothing. Even the Ghana Card they promised to make for us hasn’t been done,” Baah stated.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
Okudzeto Ablakwa responds to SA returnees regretting return
