“If I had known they were only going to give us 5,000 cedis I wouldn’t have returned to Ghana” –Kofi

A Ghanaian man repatriated from South Africa, Kofi Baah, has expressed regret over returning to Ghana, saying the government’s evacuation assistance has not resulted in the employment opportunities he was promised. According to a report by GhanaWeb, he made the remarks four months after his return.

Speaking on Max TV, Baah explained that the GH₵5,000 he received upon arrival has been insufficient to meet the needs of his household, which includes four children. He disclosed that his eldest child is completing senior high school, while his second child is still in basic school.

Baah said he would have reconsidered returning to Ghana if he had known that the government’s financial support would be limited to GH₵5,000.

He explained that part of the money was spent on securing accommodation after he and other returnees arrived in the country. According to him, the Minister for Foreign Affairs had assured them of employment opportunities before their departure from South Africa, and this promise influenced their decision to return.

However, he said four months have passed without the promised jobs materialising, despite the returnees submitting their curriculum vitae as instructed.

Baah added that attempts to follow up on the matter had yielded little progress. He said they had received vague assurances that their details had been forwarded to prospective employers, but no concrete employment opportunities had emerged. He also noted that the national identity cards promised to the returnees had not yet been issued.

Reflecting on the anti-immigrant unrest that prompted the evacuation, Baah said he now believes remaining in South Africa might have been a better decision.

He explained that Ghanaians living there had organised themselves to monitor protest activities and alert one another whenever danger arose.

Looking back, he believes he could have taken practical measures to protect himself while continuing to earn a living in South Africa. He lamented that returning to Ghana has left him struggling to provide for his family without the employment opportunities he had expected.

https://x.com/gh_first_always/status/2113139721690030232?s=20

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