A 28-year-old Ghanaian returnee from South Africa, Cecilia Nyamekye, says she received GH¢5,000 in reintegration support but did not receive the additional GH¢500 transport allowance announced by the government, explaining that she travelled to Accra on a bus arranged for returnees.
Nyamekye, who lives at Atimatim in Kumasi, said she joined other returnees on the journey after receiving a forwarded message indicating that 300 people were needed in Accra amid the controversy surrounding the evacuation exercise.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, she said she did not belong to any organised group and was unaware of who had arranged or paid for the bus.
“I stay at Atimatim in Kumasi, so that was where I came from. They brought us in a bus. I don’t know who hired the bus, but it was there, and I went to board it,” she said.
She explained that details of the transport arrangement had been shared on a group page, including the designated boarding point, but she received the information from someone who forwarded it to her.
Nyamekye said she was paid GH¢5,000 but did not receive the additional GH¢500, which she understood was meant to cover transportation costs. She added that she was not given a separate transport allowance because the bus conveyed her and other returnees to Accra.
“When we came to Accra, they told us there were controversies over the support package,” she said.
According to her, other returnees also had concerns about the outstanding payment, including her brother, who travelled from Obuasi.
She said some returnees had considered demanding explanations over the missing GH¢500 but became reluctant after hearing about the treatment of others who raised similar concerns.
Nyamekye cited the experience of a friend who complained on the group page about not receiving the payment and was allegedly subjected to insults.
Returnee outlines business expenses
Beyond the payment controversy, Nyamekye said the GH¢5,000 support package had not been sufficient to cover the costs she had incurred in preparing to establish a beauty salon.
She disclosed that she had spent more than GH¢65,000 on the project, including constructing a container and securing land for the business.
Although the project was nearing completion, she said roofing remained a major outstanding task.
“Some people say they have been able to start a business with the GH¢5,000, but I have incurred a lot of costs trying to set up my beauty salon business,” she said.
Her account adds to the differing experiences being reported by returnees as public scrutiny intensifies over the government’s evacuation expenditure and the support packages provided to Ghanaians brought back from South Africa.
The government has maintained that all persons on the evacuation list received the full GH¢5,500 package, comprising GH¢5,000 in reintegration support and GH¢500 for transportation.
Nyamekye’s account, however, indicates that she received GH¢5,000 and did not receive a separate transport payment, while explaining that she travelled on an arranged bus.
