MTN Ghana has committed GH¢20 million to support Ghanaians returning from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks targeting African migrants.
The company’s Board Chairman, Dr Ishmael Yamson, said the intervention is intended to help affected returnees rebuild their lives and livelihoods rather than provide only short-term relief.
Speaking to Joy News on Thursday, August 20, Dr Yamson disclosed that MTN Ghana initially allocated GH¢10 million to support the returnees.
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However, the company later doubled the amount after recognising that immediate assistance alone would not adequately address the longer-term needs of the affected Ghanaians.
According to Dr Yamson, the additional GH¢10 million will be combined with the initial allocation to establish a fund aimed at helping the returnees restart their lives and rebuild their livelihoods.
He said MTN Ghana wants its intervention to have a lasting impact on Ghanaians who have been forced to return home because they no longer feel safe in South Africa.
“We will do it. We’ll do it in a big way. We’ll do it in a way that will make more meaning,” he said.
Dr Yamson also acknowledged that MTN Ghana should have engaged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier and expressed regret over the delay in rolling out the support.
He, however, stressed that the delay should not be interpreted as a lack of concern for the affected Ghanaians.
Dr Yamson strongly condemned the renewed attacks and distanced MTN Ghana from the violence.
“I condemn it. I completely dissociate MTN Ghana from it. We have nothing to do with it,” he said, adding that the company has already been working to support affected Ghanaians.
He acknowledged that MTN Ghana had been slower than some other corporate organisations in making its intervention public.
“It’s something that I regret, because we should have moved faster,” he said.
The MTN Ghana Board Chairman commended companies and organisations that had already stepped forward to support the returnees.
He specifically praised Telecel and the Pentecost Church for their interventions.
“And for those who did it, Telecel and the others, I really congratulate them. Pentecost Church, I congratulate them,” he said.
The renewed xenophobic attacks in South Africa have targeted African migrants, including Ghanaians. Two Ghanaian nationals have reportedly been killed in separate incidents.
In response to the security concerns, Ghana has evacuated more than 1,000 nationals who felt unsafe in South Africa, while authorities have introduced measures to support their reintegration into Ghanaian society.
MTN Ghana’s GH¢20 million commitment is expected to complement these efforts by providing longer-term support for returnees as they seek to rebuild their livelihoods.
The intervention also adds MTN Ghana to a growing list of organisations supporting Ghanaians affected by the renewed attacks.
CNR