Collins Adomako-Mensah demands audit of GH₵49.72m evacuation costs

Collins Adomako-Mensah, the Member of Parliament for Afigya Kwabre North, has called for an independent audit into the GH₵49.72 million spent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to evacuate Ghanaians from South Africa. The evacuation exercise, which took place between May 27 and September 4, 2026, was conducted in response to xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals. Adomako-Mensah argued that a thorough investigation is necessary to ensure the proper use of public funds during the emergency repatriation effort.

The lawmaker raised concerns after reviewing documents that he claims reveal significant discrepancies and potential duplicate entries in the passenger records provided by the Ministry. According to Adomako-Mensah, the financial reports and the reported number of 1,964 individuals evacuated do not align, leading to his assertion that "the numbers don’t add up." He emphasized that the scale of the expenditure and the inconsistencies found in official documentation warrant immediate and independent scrutiny.

In response to these allegations, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has rejected the claims of financial impropriety or record-keeping errors. The Ministry maintains that the evacuation process was handled according to established protocols and that the expenditure reflects the logistical complexities of repatriating nearly 2,000 citizens under high-pressure conditions. Despite these assurances, Adomako-Mensah remains firm in his demand for an external review of the Ministry’s records.

Adding a layer of complexity to the demand for transparency, the National Data Protection Commission (DPC) has formally opposed requests for the government to publicly disclose personal information related to the evacuees. In a press statement issued on October 20, 2026, the Commission stated that it would not tolerate the public release of names, signatures, or specific financial records of the 1,964 individuals. This legal stance on privacy rights may complicate the push for a detailed, public audit of the evacuation's passenger manifest and associated costs.