More stranded Ghanaians in US abandon evacuation over cost

More stranded Ghanaians in the United States have chosen to opt-out from the Government of Ghana special arrangements to airlift them back into the country.

According to the Ghanaian Embassy in the US, several of these Ghanaian nationals insist the cost involved in their return is exorbitant and hence will be reasonable to remain stranded in the US.

Speaking on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM, the Communications Officer, Ghana Consulate in New York, Kofi Ameyaw pleaded with the Government of Ghana to absorb part of their cost so as to ease their burden.

“Indeed you premised your question by giving an exposition of the fact that they’re stranded and they’ve exhausted their resources already, he told sit-in host Akwasi Nsiah adding, “So they are pleading with the government and we will also call on the Government to support them because they’re frustrated.”

He added:” It won’t be fair to ask them to bear the cost of the flight and the hotel bills. The Mandatory quarantine is 14 days and if they are going to lodge in a place like Kempinski that means in a day they will be spending not less than US$100 a day for 14 days which will amount to about USD1400. We plead the government to put a human face on it else most of them will prefer staying on and endure every hardship here.”

Meanwhile, according to Ameyaw, almost 1000 stranded Ghanaians in the US are expected back into the country in the coming days under government’s special dispensation move.

By Thursday, June, 25, about 400 Ghanaians stranded in the US, specifically New York will be airlifted in a chartered flight to Ghana.

Their travel back into the country comes at a time when Ghana has closed its borders to stop importation of the Novel Coronavirus.