Stephen Anokye Badu calls for govt support in Kuwait
Ace defender, Stephen Anokye Badu, formerly of Aduana Stars, has made a passionate appeal to government to intervene quickly to airlift stranded Ghanaians in Kuwait home.
He revealed in an interview with Graphic Sports from his Kuwait base last Friday that life had become unbearable for him and most of his colleagues as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
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"Most of us are facing hardships and struggling to live our normal daily lives following the imposition of coronavirus restrictions in Kuwait,” he stated.
He said the Kuwaiti government airlifted 245 Ghanaian nationals back home earlier in the year as part of an annual programme to repatriate foreigners, but with the outbreak of the virus and the subsequent lockdown some of them who were encountering difficulties and were expected to be returned to Ghana never got that privilege.
"This also involved those whose documents have expired and wanted to renew them, or in one way or the other were facing hardship and challenges regarding their stay in that country," he added.
Anokye Badu, popularly known as 'Atronie', who spoke on behalf of the stranded group, said the restrictions had halted business activities and all sporting events, making many Ghanaians working in Kuwait lose their jobs and businesses.
"Personally, due to the biting effects of the lockdown in that country, I made an effort by calling Ghana's ambassador in that country and held discussions with him over the matter and he linked me to a woman who works at an Airport there to call her.
"When I called, the person told me that unless they got a total of 150 Ghanaians who want to return, they can never get a plane for us. She didn’t get the required number of Ghanaians so we are still locked up here," he bemoaned.
The former Aduana Stars player indicated that following the expiration and termination of his 10-month contract with Tadamon Sporting Club last month, officials of the club withdrew all contract obligations, including payment of rent.
"They paid my apartment rent charges up to last month when my contract ended and have made it known to me plainly that they won't continue to pay so I should take that burden upon myself but the situation is very difficult for me here.
“We are locked down and I don’t do any work to earn extra money to pay these rent charges.
"I just want to return home. I have spoken with Mr Yusif Chibsah of Professional Players Association of Ghana, but no positive response has come out of the deliberations," he pointed out.
“I can't survive with the little money on me now that my contract has ended and we don’t know when exactly the restrictions will be lifted too," he added.
He expressed grave concern about the way the Ghana Embassy in Kuwait had handled the issue and appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to act swiftly by responding to their distress call since the situation was getting worse by the day and bringing untold hardship upon them.
On his future plans after the Covid-19 era, Badu said if he had another chance to play abroad he would make a move, though he would also grab a lucrative offer from any Premier League club.