MTN Ghana is preparing a GH¢20 million support fund to assist Ghanaians returning from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks targeting African migrants. The company’s Board Chairman, Dr Ishmael Yamson, said the intervention would go beyond immediate relief and focus on helping affected returnees restart their lives and establish sustainable livelihoods in Ghana.
Speaking on PM Express, Dr Yamson disclosed that MTN Ghana initially approved GH¢10 million to welcome and provide immediate assistance to the returnees. The company, however, subsequently doubled the commitment after deciding that short-term relief alone would not adequately address the needs of people who had lost livelihoods and possessions. He explained that the company began reconsidering its initial approach after recognising that items such as data and other immediate assistance would offer only temporary relief. According to him, reports that some returnees were permitted to bring only two suitcases further underscored the need for a more sustainable intervention.
The additional GH¢10 million will therefore be added to the initial allocation to create a fund aimed at helping the returnees rebuild their lives after their arrival in Ghana. Dr Yamson said the decision reflected the company’s desire to provide support that would have a lasting impact rather than a one-off gesture. He acknowledged that MTN Ghana should have engaged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier in the process and said the company’s internal procedures contributed to delays in rolling out the initiative. He stressed, however, that the delay should not be construed as indifference towards the affected Ghanaians.
Dr Yamson said MTN Ghana had been in discussions with the relevant government authorities and remained committed to implementing the intervention. He assured that the company would eventually roll out the programme on a significant scale and in a manner that would provide meaningful assistance to the returnees. The planned intervention comes as Ghana continues efforts to receive and reintegrate nationals who have left South Africa because of concerns over their safety amid renewed xenophobic attacks.
The violence has since raised concerns over the security and welfare of African migrants, including Ghanaians, with two Ghanaian nationals reportedly killed in separate incidents linked to the unrest. Dr Yamson however condemned the attacks and stressed that MTN Ghana had no association with the violence. He also acknowledged that the company’s response had not been as swift or visible as that of some other organisations, saying he regretted the delay.
He commended companies and institutions that had already provided assistance to the returnees, specifically mentioning Telecel and the Church of Pentecost. The GH¢20 million commitment is expected to form part of broader efforts to support the reintegration of the affected Ghanaians, particularly those who may have returned with limited personal belongings and without the economic means to immediately resume their livelihoods. Dr Yamson said MTN Ghana remained determined to ensure that its intervention was structured around helping beneficiaries move beyond the immediate consequences of their return and regain economic stability.
By: Joyce Owusu
