Samuel Jinapor
The Minority parliament is calling on the government of Ghana to immediately activate all available diplomatic and logistical channels to secure the safe evacuation of nearly 1,000 Ghanaians that are currently stranded in Israel following the closure of the country’s borders amid escalating hostilities in the Middle East.
In a statement issued, the Minority also raised alarm over the growing number of Ghanaians displaced in Iran as tensions between Israel and Iran continue to escalate, warning that the intensifying missile exchanges pose an “immediate and grave threat” to their lives and safety.
“This distressing development highlights a disturbing lapse in the Government’s response,” the Minority stated. “It is unacceptable that the authorities failed to act with the urgency required, despite clear early warning signs that the conflict was worsening” the statement said.
The statement, which was signed by the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, Samuel Jinapor, criticized the government’s delayed response as evidence of “inefficiency, ineffectiveness, and a lack of proactive leadership” during a time when swift action was imperative.
According to the minority, government must urgently formulate a comprehensive evacuation strategy in collaboration with Ghana’s diplomatic missions, international partners, and other stakeholders.
“The safety and wellbeing of Ghanaians abroad must be treated as a national priority and not subjected to bureaucratic inertia or indecision,” the statement emphasized.
The statement concluded with a demand for immediate and decisive action: “Every passing hour increases the risk to the lives of our fellow citizens caught in the crossfire of this conflict. Government must act decisively, and it must act now.”