Economist and Board Chairman of MTN Ghana, Dr Ishmael Yamson, has warned Ghanaians against targeting MTN Ghana and other South African-linked businesses in retaliation for xenophobic attacks on Ghanaians in South Africa.

He said such retaliation would hurt Ghanaian interests and could amount to destroying businesses that contribute significantly to the local economy.

His comments come amid anger over attacks on African migrants in South Africa, including Ghanaians, with calls for retaliatory action against South African businesses operating in Ghana.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Thursday, Dr Yamson said MTN Ghana should not be held responsible for the actions of South Africans involved in the attacks.

“If you target MTN Ghana, you can target it, but at the end of the day, you are destroying something that you should protect.”

He said MTN Ghana has significant Ghanaian ownership and employs thousands of Ghanaians.

“We have over 120,000 Ghanaians as shareholders in MTN Ghana. MTN Ghana is a corporate citizen of Ghana. It is not MTN South Africa.”

He added that the majority of MTN Ghana’s employees are Ghanaian. “Every employee in MTN, maybe 98% of employees in MTN, is Ghanaian. All our other dealers are Ghanaians.”

Dr Yamson said MTN Ghana also makes a major contribution to the Ghanaian economy through taxes. “If you talk about our contribution in terms of taxes, MTN is the biggest taxpayer in this country.”

He acknowledged criticism that MTN Ghana had not publicly condemned the xenophobic attacks earlier.

“I apologise that we haven’t done that.” “We haven’t made a statement as MTN Ghana. That is correct. And we should have, and I admit.”

But he said the wider corporate sector in South Africa had spoken against the attacks.

“The corporate sector in South Africa has been very outspoken against it. The MTN chairman spoke directly, and he condemned it in no uncertain terms.”

Dr Yamson himself also condemned the attacks and dissociated MTN Ghana from them. “We condemn it unreservedly. We have nothing to do with it. We dissociate ourselves from it completely.”

Speaking specifically as chairman of MTN Ghana, he repeated his condemnation. “I condemn it. I completely dissociate MTN Ghana from it. We have nothing to do with it.”

He described the attacks as unacceptable and said two Ghanaians had lost their lives.

“We just think that it belongs to the Stone Age. It’s not something that anybody should have been contemplating doing it, because the Ghanaians who are there, Ghanaians are very law-abiding. Now, two Ghanaians have lost their lives.”

Dr Yamson said retaliating against Ghanaian businesses would not resolve the problem. “But well, that will be a genuine feeling, but it will not help us, and it’s not going to help Ghana.”

He argued that Ghana must separate the actions of South Africans involved in the attacks from the operations of businesses such as MTN Ghana.

“We have to be able to separate what is happening in South Africa by South Africans to Ghanaians, because MTN Ghana has not done anything to anybody in Ghana, here in Ghana.”

He also pointed to MTN Ghana’s social investments as part of its contribution to the country.

“Every year, we put 1% of our profit after tax into a foundation that we invest in social investment. We invest in hospitals, we invest in schools, we invest in girls' education, we invest in women’s empowerment.”

“So, yes, what is happening in South Africa is bad, but we need not equate that to MTN Ghana.” “No, that will be for me, rather killing the very goose that lays the golden eggs.”

Dr Yamson also disclosed that MTN Ghana had begun work on a support package for Ghanaians returning from South Africa following the attacks.

He said the board initially decided to set aside GH¢10 million as a welcome-back package.

“When the issue broke, I can tell you, the board immediately decided that we would set aside ¢10 million as a welcome back.”

But the company later reconsidered how the money should be used. “So maybe we should change the framework a bit.”

He said MTN Ghana was considering a fund that would help returnees rebuild their lives. “So how do we create a fund that we will use to help these people to start life all over again?”

Dr Yamson admitted that the company should have engaged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier.

“I think the mistake that we made was not to have engaged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately about this.”

He assured that the support had not been abandoned. “We have not forgotten. We will do it. We’ll do it in a big way. We’ll do it in a way that will make more meaning.”