A group representing Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa in the wake of xenophobic violence has alleged that some of its members were contacted and coached by the opposition New Patriotic Party to make false claims against the government’s support package for returnees.
Speaking to journalists, the representative of the evacuees, Michael Addo, stated that the group remains committed to upholding the truth regardless of political affiliations, stressing that partisan motives would not sway their account of the assistance delivered by the state.
“We are aware that some members of our group have received calls and coaching to speak against the government, but our conscience will not allow us to do so, even if we support the opposition party rather than the government of the day,” he declared.
The group further refuted reports suggesting that a cross-section of returnees received only GH¢500 for transport or only GH¢5,000 for reintegration.
Clarifying the details, the group affirmed that every evacuee was handed the full GH¢5,500 package, consisting of GH¢5,000 in reintegration assistance alongside GH¢500 for transport, on the exact date of their arrival in Ghana.
“It is only fair that we state the facts and refuse to allow petty politics to make us liars. The claims that some people received only the GH¢500 transportation allowance while others received only the GH¢5,000 reintegration allowance are all false. We want to state for the record that we all received the package on our respective dates of arrival,” Mr Addo noted.
The fresh accusations emerge amid ongoing public discussions regarding the financial support allocated to citizens brought back from South Africa.
Adding weight to the group’s stance, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa dismissed allegations that certain individuals received amounts below the GH¢5,500 package announced by government authorities.
He reaffirmed that all 1,000 Ghanaians listed for evacuation, including minors, were given the full sum, adding that the ministry has not received any official complaints concerning missing or incomplete payments.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
