The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu wants government to urgently evacuate Ghanaian students studying in Ukraine.

According to him, the government must act swiftly to prevent any loss of life.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, the Minority Leader mentioned that with the security situation in the regions, immediate government intervention is needed to save Ghanaian students in that country.

“We should ensure the swift evacuation of Ghanaian students in Ukraine. This we must do to assure the students and their parents that they are Ghanaians and that they deserve our support. This is a matter of urgent public importance. I am indulging you to look at the matter because the Minister of Finance needs to make monies readily available to the Foreign Minister. The situation in Ukraine is very worrying, with imminent war.”

Following rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia, pleas have been made for the government of Ghana to evacuate its citizens to safety to prevent ugly situations that might occur.

On Wednesday, the National Union of Ghanaian Students (NUGS) made a similar call to the government.

“As conflicts escalate within the regions, governments of countries across the world are prioritizing the evacuation of their citizens across the area to forestall harm on their citizens. Some students have currently fled the region, showing growing insecurity and fear amongst students. Some of these students including the Executives of the NUGS chapter in Ukraine have touched down and have reached out to the National Secretariat of NUGS advising that urgent steps be taken to ensure the safety of their colleagues still in the regions.”

Russian forces began attacking Ukraine early on Thursday morning.

Its President, Vladimir Putin, announced the military operation at dawn despite calls for de-escalation from world leaders.

There have been reports of explosions near major Ukrainian cities, including its capital, Kyiv.

Recent tensions have stemmed from Russia’s opposition to Ukraine’s moves towards European institutions like Nato and the EU.

Most Ghanaian students in Ukraine are in Kyiv and Kharkiv, the two main cities targeted by Russian missiles.

Find places of shelter as we engage authorities
Meanwhile, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration is urging Ghanaians in Ukraine to find a place of safety and stay there as it considers concrete steps to ensure their safety in that country.

The Ministry in a statement said, “The Government of Ghana is gravely concerned about the security and safety of our over 1000 students and other Ghanaians in Ukraine.”

It thus asked them to stay safe “as we engage the authorities, our relevant diplomatic missions and our honorary consul on further measures”.