Kobby, a Ghanaian living in the United Kingdom, recently appeared on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide show with DJ Nyaami, where he shared his current struggles and desire to return to Ghana. He confirmed that he has no valid documents (“nkraata”) in the UK and is seriously considering going back home.
According to Kobby, shortly after speaking with DJ Nyaami, UK immigration officers (Home Office) showed up at his workplace with deportation letters. He was fortunate to escape arrest, but two Ghanaian colleagues weren’t so lucky—they were taken away. He later found out that a co-worker was deported after officers went to his house.
“I won’t go back to that company,” Kobby said. “I’m planning to come home for a month to look for another job and use the money I’ve saved to pay rent and support my family.”
Responding to online comments that he doesn’t do a “real job,” Kobby emphasized that his work is physically demanding, so much so that even some white workers quit within hours. “I’m taking care of three children and a wife back home. I work hard.”
He described how even washing cars abroad is no easy task, especially during winter when they use freezing cold water. “No one is lazy abroad,” he added.
Someone even suggested that he move to Ireland and seek asylum. SVTV Africa gave him a contact there, but he declined, saying he doesn’t trust most Ghanaians living abroad. He recalled meeting an elderly Ghanaian man in London who had previously lived well in Ghana with housemaids and government-provided bungalows, but still left to work in the UK. Now at 60, the man has reduced his age just to do car wash work.
Kobby also warned others not to be deceived by appearances. He knows people who paid as much as £12,000–£20,000 for documents (“nkraata”), only to end up doing car wash jobs and being exploited. “When they realize you’re naive, they use the police to intimidate you.”
He added that many hardworking Ghanaians abroad have nothing to show for it, while others have used their earnings wisely to build houses back home. He believes he can also succeed if he returns to Ghana and puts in the same level of effort.
“I wake up at 5 a.m. and work till 9 p.m. every day. If I apply the same commitment in Ghana, I’ll make it. But staying here without documents, thinking ‘it will be well’ (‘ɛbɛfa’) is just a waste of time.”
Watch The Video Below:
About The Author
