First government to evacuate us, give Mahama a third term - Excited evacuee

An evacuee from South Africa, Yakub Moro, has singled out the government of President John Dramani Mahama for being the only Ghanaian administration to come to the rescue of its nationals caught up in xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

According to him, this is not the first time xenophobic attacks have occurred in the country but this is the first government that has evacuated them.

According to him, in previous instances, when affected Ghanaians appealed to the Ghana High Commission in South Africa for assistance, they were allegedly told that the government had not sent them there.

Speaking on behalf of the evacuees who were welcomed at the Accra International Airport on Sunday, June 7, 2026, Moro expressed appreciation to the government for its intervention.

He revealed that he had lived in South Africa for 20 years and could confidently say that this was the best response by any Ghanaian government to a xenophobic crisis by coming to rescue them.

Moro, visibly moved by the arrangements made to evacuate them, reignited the debate over a possible third term for the president.

“For me, if possible, the Constitution should be amended to allow President John Dramani Mahama a third term in office,” he said.

This appeal excited the other evacuees who cheered him on.

Receiving the final batch of 342 evacuees, the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Administration, Nana Oye Bampoe-Addo, assured them of the government’s continued support.

She stated that preparations had already been made for their reintegration into society.

 As part of these efforts, the National Youth Authority will enroll them in the National Apprenticeship Programme to help kick-start their resettlement, she indicated.

She further disclosed that the National Identification Authority (NIA) would register all the evacuees for the Ghana Card.

According to the Deputy Chief of Staff, these interventions form part of the government’s broader Reset Agenda, which seeks to support and reintegrate returning citizens while welcoming them home with open arms.

On his part, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Quayson, said the government was determined to do everything possible to bring stranded Ghanaians back home.

“Even if you were on your deathbed, we would bring you home,” he stressed.

Using himself as an example, the Deputy Minister noted that he had lived in Canada for 40 years before deciding to return to Ghana.

His return, he said, eventually led to his election as a Member of Parliament and appointment as Deputy Minister.

He therefore encouraged the evacuees to remain hopeful, saying that while God’s plans may not always be immediately understood, His purpose ultimately becomes clear.

Already, two earlier batches of evacuees have arrived in Ghana and received financial support and reintegration packages.

With the arrival of the initial 297 evacuees, followed by 340 and now 342 more, the government is expected to have evacuated close to 1,000 Ghanaian nationals affected by the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

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