Razak Kojo Poku,
Political analyst and governance advocate Razak Kojo Opoku has praised former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for what he describes as an outstanding record in evacuating stranded Ghanaians abroad and strengthening Ghana’s foreign policy credentials on the global stage.
In a statement, Mr. Opoku highlighted what he termed the Akufo-Addo administration’s swift and successful evacuation exercises during periods of global crises and conflicts, insisting that the former President demonstrated exceptional leadership in protecting Ghanaian citizens overseas.
Evacuation Successes
According to him, the Akufo-Addo government successfully evacuated more than 80 Ghanaian citizens, mostly students, from war-torn Sudan in 2023 following the outbreak of deadly conflict in Khartoum.
He noted that the evacuees were first moved to safety in Ethiopia and Egypt before they were eventually flown back home to the Kotoka International Airport, now officially known as the Accra International Airport.
Mr. Opoku further stated that the government also evacuated more than 1,000 Ghanaians from Ukraine following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, making Ghana the first African country to undertake such an exercise.
“The first batch of evacuees arrived in Ghana in March 2022,” he stated.
He also referenced the evacuation of about 2,262 Ghanaian citizens from Lebanon during the COVID-19 lockdown period, as well as the evacuation of over 9,000 Ghanaian citizens and resident permit holders from several countries, including South Africa, Gambia, Benin, Togo, the United States, China, Burkina Faso, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.
Foreign Policy Achievements
Beyond evacuation exercises, Mr. Opoku commended Akufo-Addo’s foreign policy achievements, describing them as transformative and impactful for Ghana’s global standing.
He cited Ghana’s successful bid to host the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Accra as one of the administration’s landmark achievements.
According to him, the move firmly positioned Ghana as the gateway to Africa and strengthened the country’s role in promoting intra-African trade and economic integration.
He also praised Akufo-Addo’s advocacy for a borderless Africa, climate change action and the “Ghana Beyond Aid” agenda aimed at reducing Africa’s dependence on foreign aid through trade, investment and strategic partnerships.
Mr. Opoku further lauded the former President’s role in securing Ghana a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2022-2023 term and his leadership within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), where he served two consecutive terms as Chairman.
He additionally mentioned the “Year of Return” and “Beyond the Return” initiatives, which he said helped strengthen ties between Ghana and the African diaspora through tourism, trade and investment.
Commendation
Mr. Opoku also commended President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, for continuing what he described as the good examples established under the Akufo-Addo administration.
He praised ongoing efforts to evacuate stranded Ghanaians from South Africa following recent xenophobic attacks in parts of that country.
According to him, the continuation of such evacuation exercises demonstrates Ghana’s commitment to protecting its citizens regardless of where they may be across the world.
