Pressure mounts on Ablakwa Over South Africa Evacuation Bill

The Minority in Parliament is demanding full procurement records and supporting documents for the GH¢49.7 million government says it spent to evacuate Ghanaians from South Africa.

Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor and Deputy Ranking Member Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh said an aggregate figure announced at a press conference was not enough accountability.

The demand follows Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa's disclosure on Monday, September 7, that government spent GH¢49,721,786 to evacuate 1,964 Ghanaians between May 27 and September 4, 2026, following renewed xenophobic attacks in KwaZulu-Natal.

According to Ablakwa, GH¢38,835,512 went into chartered flights, commercial tickets, ground transportation, feeding, hotel accommodation, medical care and hospitalisation in South Africa, GH¢10.8 million was paid as GH¢5,000 reintegration grant plus GH¢500 transport per evacuee, and GH¢84,274 was used to repatriate the remains of two Ghanaians.

He said government covered GH¢33.7 million while businessman Ibrahim Mahama, through Engineers and Planners, donated GH¢16 million.

But the Minority said the figures translate to about GH¢25,000 or $2,200 per evacuee, which requires proper verification.

At a press briefing on Thursday, September 10, Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, who had earlier filed an RTI request, said the Minority was not asking for private passport or medical data.okudzeto over SA evacuation money

"Nobody is asking government to publish passport, medical diagnosis, bank account numbers or other unnecessary private information. We are asking for enough documentary information to verify the public account," he said.

The Minority wanted reconciled passenger manifests, charter agreements, invoices, payment vouchers, procurement method for each flight, and details of Ghanaian partners who supported the exercise.

By Regina Acquaye