Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa denies missing GH‵16m in South Africa evacuation

Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has firmly rejected allegations from the Minority in Parliament that GH‵16 million in public funds went unaccounted for during the emergency evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa. Addressing the claims in a televised interview, the Minister asserted that "no pesewa" was missing from the GH‵49.72 million operation. The exercise, necessitated by a wave of xenophobic attacks that resulted in the deaths of four Ghanaians, successfully repatriated 1,964 citizens who were provided with financial support, medical care, and reintegration assistance.

To ensure transparency and counter the opposition's claims, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs published the names and signatures of all 1,964 evacuees. Minister Ablakwa dismissed the Minority’s financial scrutiny as "voodoo analysis," arguing that their report contained discrepancies regarding the number of beneficiaries, particularly children. He challenged the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to produce even a single returnee who had not received their full GH‵5,500 allowance, maintaining that all payments were handled transparently and sourced from both the government and private contributors.

Despite the Minister's defense, the NPP has raised specific concerns regarding discrepancies in the payment records and the cost of chartered flights. NPP Communications Director Dennis Miracles Aboagye pointed out that while the Ministry claims 1,964 people were evacuated, only 1,001 signatures appear on the records for the GH‵500 transport allowance. Furthermore, the opposition questioned why the government reportedly paid $750,000 per flight to Ethiopian Airlines when industry estimates for such services typically range between $180,000 and $300,000. The NPP has criticized the lack of original invoices and contracts in the Ministry's report.

The NPP has since issued a seven-day ultimatum to Minister Ablakwa to provide the original invoices and payment vouchers for the GH‵27.18 million spent on flight arrangements. While the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, clarified that the Minority is not yet accusing the Minister of direct wrongdoing, the party is calling for an independent audit to resolve the conflicting figures. Failure to provide the requested documentation within the week will lead the opposition to push for a formal parliamentary inquiry into the handling of the evacuation funds.