On Tuesday, November 3, the youth wing of Ghana's opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) staged a demonstration in Accra, calling for accountability over the government's expenditure on evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa. The protest, dubbed 'Yɛgye Yɛ Sika', drew NPP youth onto the streets of Accra to demand transparency in the evacuation expenditure and the issuance of official travel documents.
The protesters marched from Villaggio, near the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then to Jubilee House, where they planned to present a petition to the President. A key concern of the demonstration was a reported GH¢16.4 million discrepancy in the GH¢49.7 million spent on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa.
The NPP Deputy National Communications Director stated that the protest aimed to compel the government to account for the disputed amount. The party wants the government to release original invoices, contracts, and proof of payment for all chartered flights used during the evacuation, as well as the full passenger manifest and beneficiary list.
An independent audit of the total expenditure is also being demanded to establish how the funds were utilised. This comes after weeks of debate over the reported GH¢49.7 million spent on the evacuation exercise, with the Minority in Parliament raising concerns about flight costs, payment records, and financial support distribution to evacuees.
Beyond the evacuation expenditure, the demonstrators are demanding greater transparency in the issuance of diplomatic and service passports. They want the government to publish details of all such passports issued since January 2025, including recipient information and the authorities that approved their issuance.
The NPP youth wing is also calling for the cancellation of any passports found to have been issued irregularly and the prosecution of officials found culpable. Furthermore, they have demanded the immediate removal of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to allow investigations into the controversies to proceed.
The demonstration follows allegations of financial wrongdoing, which Minister Ablakwa has rejected, inviting the Auditor-General to conduct an independent audit of the evacuation exercise. The NPP insists that public officials must account for the management of public funds and state documents, maintaining that further scrutiny is required.
Key points
- The NPP youth wing is demanding accountability over a reported GH¢16.4 million discrepancy in the government's expenditure on evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa.
- The protesters are calling for greater transparency in the issuance of diplomatic and service passports, including publication of recipient information and approval authorities.
- The demonstration has led to demands for the removal of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and an independent audit of the evacuation expenditure.
