The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, paid courtesy call on Apostle Dr. Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, at the Church’s Headquarters in Accra, to express appreciation on behalf of H.E. John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana and the Government and People of Ghana, to the Church, for the immense support to stranded Ghanaians in South Africa during the recent xenophobic attacks.
The meeting, held on Wednesday, 12ᵗʰ August 2026, also explored avenues for formal collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and The Church of Pentecost, leveraging the Church’s extensive presence in about Two Hundred and Ten (210) nations and territories across the world to facilitate the provision of timely assistance to Ghanaians who may find themselves in distress abroad, particularly in countries where Ghana has no diplomatic mission.
The Hon. Minister, speaking on behalf of H.E. the President and the Government and People of Ghana, commended the Church for providing shelter, food, clothing and other forms of support to more than Five Hundred (500) Ghanaians who were forced to flee their homes and businesses in the wake of the xenophobic attacks.
He particularly commended Apostle Bernard Boakye Anyimadu, National Head of the Church of Pentecost in South Africa and his leadership body including Apostle James Quaicoe, Area Head of Johannesburg and District Minister of Pretoria and Pastor Senoo Godsway, District Minister of Kempton Park, for the dedicated efforts and leadership in coordinating the Church’s support to affected Ghanaians during the attack.
The Minister explained that the intervention had been particularly significant because Ghana operates only one diplomatic mission in South Africa, which is in Pretoria, while The Church of Pentecost has a wider network of branches across the country. This, he said, enabled the Church to reach and assist affected Ghanaians in locations that could be difficult for diplomatic officials to access promptly.
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ghana, also recalled the Church’s critical intervention during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, when its members and leadership assisted Ghanaian students and other nationals fleeing the conflict to cross into neighbouring countries, including Hungary and Romania. He expressed appreciation to the Church for its continued support to Ghanaians abroad, particularly during times of crisis and distress.
The Hon.Minister emphasized that the Church’s recent intervention during the xenophobic attacks in South Africa further demonstrated the importance of institutions and organisations looking beyond their core mandates to support Ghanaians in times of crisis.
In response, the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr. Eric Nyamekye, expressed his appreciation for the visit by Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, describing the gesture of personally coming to acknowledge the Church’s efforts as meaningful and encouraging. He said the recognition from Government would motivate the Church to continue supporting Ghanaians in distress wherever they may be.
Apostle Dr. Eric Nyamekye proposed greater collaboration between the Church and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a means of supporting the Ministry’s work, particularly in assisting Ghanaians abroad during times of crisis and emergencies. His proposal was informed by the Church’s extensive global presence and wide network of branches, which provides it with considerable capacity to mobilise support and offer timely assistance to Ghanaians abroad when the need arises.
He further stated that the Church considered its responsibility to Ghanaians abroad to extend beyond spiritual ministry, stressing the equal concern for their welfare and safety.
He cited the Church’s previous interventions in Ukraine and South Africa as examples of its commitment to supporting Ghanaians and other persons affected by crisis . He also highlighted the Church’s willingness to support Government’s broader development and social interventions, including its initiative to construct prison facilities as part of efforts to complement Government’s responsibility in addressing infrastructure needs within the correctional system.
On his part, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister for Foreign Affairs, expressed the Ministry’s readiness to deepen collaboration with the Church, noting that such collaboration could complement the Ministry’s efforts to enhance its consular outreach and provide timely assistance to Ghanaians in distress abroad.
The Minister disclosed that the Ministry would engage its Heads of Mission and other relevant stakeholders on the proposed collaboration to explore the possibility of formalising the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). He noted that such an arrangement could clearly define the areas of cooperation and strengthen coordination between Ghana’s diplomatic missions and the Church’s extensive International network.
The meeting ended with a shared commitment to explore practical mechanisms for formalizing and strengthening partnership between The Church of Pentecost and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the interest of Ghanaians abroad.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Kwabena Nyarko Abronoma
