The Minority caucus in Ghana's Parliament is pushing for an independent audit of the GH¢49.72 million spent by the government to evacuate Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic violence. According to the Deputy Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, a review of official records revealed over GH¢16.4 million that needs explaining. The Minority caucus obtained over 200 pages of documents from Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa through a Right to Information (RTI) request.
The Minority caucus conducted an independent, name-by-name scrutiny of the records and found discrepancies in the payment registers for reintegration grants and transport allowances. The government claimed every evacuee received GH¢5,000 as a reintegration grant and GH¢500 as a transport allowance, totaling GH¢5,500 per person. However, cross-checking the payment registers revealed only 824 names that could be matched across both lists, leaving a shortfall of 1,140 people who should have received the combined package.
The unverified amount from the discrepancy in payment registers is estimated at GH¢6.27 million. The Minority caucus also flagged other irregularities, including duplicate entries, commercial flight records, and payments listed against minors. However, they stressed that their findings do not prove money was stolen or that evacuee numbers were deliberately inflated. Instead, they want the Ministry to clarify the cause of the gaps in the records.
The evacuation exercise was triggered by renewed xenophobic violence and intimidation targeting foreign nationals in South Africa. The Ghana High Commission issued fresh warnings to citizens after protests flared in Johannesburg and Durban. The evacuation ran from May 27 to September 4, 2026, with the final batch of 41 returnees arriving in Ghana on the closing date.
The total evacuation cost was announced by Ablakwa on September 7 as GH¢49,721,786, comprising GH¢33,721,786 in direct government funding and GH¢16 million in support from Engineers & Planners, a company owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama. The funds covered chartered flights, commercial tickets, ground transport, feeding, accommodation, medical care, reintegration support, and other logistics.
The dispute centers on public funds spent on a large-scale humanitarian operation affecting nearly 2,000 Ghanaians who fled violence abroad. Any confirmed gaps in accounting could impact how future evacuations, including a possible second one, are funded and documented. The Minority caucus acknowledged the humanitarian urgency of the exercise but emphasized the need for full accountability.
Ayeh has formally requested itemized expenditure records, payment registers, flight manifests, and procurement details from the Foreign Affairs Ministry. However, it is unclear whether the Ministry has responded to the latest round of queries or if an independent audit has been agreed to. No timeline for such a review has been given.
Key points
- The Minority caucus found over GH¢16.4 million in unverified spending.
- The evacuation cost a total of GH¢49,721,786.
- The Minority caucus is pushing for an independent audit.
