In response to a question filed by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu on the plans the Ministry is putting in place for the evacuation of stranded Ghanaians abroad, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway says government is set to evacuate stranded Ghanaians abroad.
She said as a result of financial and logistical constraints among others, and also to ensure a well coordinated evacuation exercise, government has decided to take the evacuation in phases.
According to her, the evacuation of stranded Ghanaians abroad will be as follows:
Washington DC. – 06/06/2020
Burkina Faso – 06/06/2020
Mauritania. – 14/06/2020
Turks and Caicos – 15/06/2020
London – 17/06 /2020
New York – 24/06/2020
Washington DC – 28/06/2020.
Still on the evacuation of stranded Ghanaians abroad, Madam Botchwey also disclosed that the country is expecting another set of Ghanaians stranded abroad in the wake of covid-19.
Meanwhile 7 people were evacuated from Lagos Nigeria on 4th June, 2020.
The Minister emphatically stated that all evacuees will be responsible for flight charges including hotel bills in which they will be quarantined in.
According to the Minister, her ministry is also in discussion with the scholarship Secretariat and the National COVID -19 TASK FORCE to finalise arrangement to evacuate about 141 Ghanaian students who completed their language proficiency courses in Benin last month, using STC buses.
In an interview with the ranking member on the committee of foreign affairs, and minority spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Okudzeto Ablakwa expressed dissatisfaction about the decision that the evacuees shall be responsible for the cost involved in the evacuation as well as quarantine services.
Story filed by Edzorna Francis Mensah
