‘Government is Ever Ready to Support You’ – Greater Accra Minister Assures 303 Ghanaians Repatriated from Ivory Coast
Greater Accra Regional Minister *Hon. Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo* has assured 303 Ghanaian nationals repatriated from Ivory Coast that government is ready to support them after they were displaced by a demolition exercise aimed at controlling flooding.
Speaking at the arrival of the 303 Ghanaians, Ocloo explained the reason for their return: “Our brothers and sisters were affected by the demolition exercise ongoing in Ivory Coast, just a way to control flooding. So the government thought it was right to repatriate them back to their various homes.”
She thanked all institutions and individuals who made the repatriation possible: “first of all, let me thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both La Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, and thank His Excellency the President of the Republic of Thailand, and everybody who has contributed to bring our brothers and sisters safely back home.”
Government Support for Returnees
Ocloo said many of the returnees lost livelihoods during the exercise, and government is ready to help them restart.
“Like I stated earlier, the government is ever ready to support them, so that whatever they lost, that is what, when we interviewed, a lot of them said they’ve done a lot of things at their various places, and they left us, so the government is ever ready to support them, so that they can come back, and then I mean, their stay in Ghana would be fruitful,” she said.
She urged the returnees to reach out for assistance: “We are ever ready, we bring them contact to contact us, and make sure that, first of all, we lead them to their various destinations, and make sure that we support them to get back to their feet, and so that they will really enjoy their stay back home in Ghana.”
Screening and Regional Distribution
Of the 303 returnees, Ocloo said the Greater Accra Region received the bulk, while others are from “Takoradi, Cape Coast, and then Eastern Region.”
She noted that all 303 went through medical screening on arrival: “303 they go through screening, the nurses are here, the doctors are here. We went through some screening, we went through some blood before some of them had to write from another protocol for math. We are giving them…”
The repatriation is part of ongoing cooperation between Ghana and La Cote d’Ivoire to assist citizens affected by urban redevelopment and flood control measures in Ivorian communities.
