A Ghanaian opposition MP, Ras Mubarak, has criticized his country’s government for offering a hand of assistance to Cyclone Idai victims in faraway Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi while ignoring scores of survivors and families of two ghastly accidents in Ghana which killed close to 70 people.

The MP for Kumbungu told Class91.3FM’s parliamentary correspondent Ekow Annan on Monday, 25 March 2019 that the public witnessed “the speed with which the President has had to commiserate with friends elsewhere on the African continent and beyond, and to think that more than 70 of our compatriots died in such tragic circumstances” without attention from Nana Akufo-Addo is unacceptable.

“I’m disappointed by the sluggish response to the accidents by the government. On Saturday, there was a mass burial of about 40 of them and there was no single government official or minister of state at the burial,” Mr Mubarak told Ekow Annan.

“I am particularly disappointed that His Excellency the President, found time to travel to the Upper East for a festival and did not do a stopover in Kintampo to visit those in the hospital recuperating,” he added.

In his opinion, the government seems to be out of touch with the developments affecting Ghanaian citizens.

After Idai hit the three southern African countries, Mr Akufo-Addo sent messages of condolence to the peoples of Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique following the devastation.

Mr Akufo-Addo made this known in three personalized letters, dated Wednesday, 20 March 2019, to President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique, President Emerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, and President Peter Mutharika of Malawi.

“On behalf of the government and people of Ghana, I extend sincere, heartfelt condolences to you, Your Excellency, and to the brotherly people of Mozambique on this tragedy,” President Akufo-Addo said in one of the letters.

He continued, “You can be assured of the solidarity of the Ghanaian people and its government in these difficult times. We stand ready to assist, within our modest means, in helping to restore a sense of normalcy to everyday life in the affected communities.”

Idai’s death toll has risen above 750 in the three southern African countries hit 10 days ago by the storm, as workers try to restore electricity and water and prevent an outbreak of cholera.

Meanwhile, the Minority spokesperson on foreign affairs, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has suggested that MPs in Ghana’s parliament make voluntary contributions in kind or cash to help the three affected countries.

“This goes beyond solidarity and mere words”, Mr Ablakwa said on the floor of parliament on Monday, 25 March 2019, adding: “Mr Speaker, I propose, if it pleases you, that we all as Members of Parliament make voluntary donations in cash or in kind which we should put together and donate to our fellow Africans in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe who are in dire need of our urgent assistance”.