Minority demands Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa resign over GH₵49.7m evacuation

The Minority Caucus in Parliament has formally demanded the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, alleging financial mismanagement of a GH₵49.72 million evacuation exercise. The funds were used to repatriate 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic attacks between May and September 2026. Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, called for an independent audit during a press conference on October 27, 2026, citing significant discrepancies between the Ministry's reported expenditure and actual payment records.

The Minority's concerns center on claims that approximately GH₵16.4 million of the total expenditure remains unaccounted for. Furthermore, while the government stated that each returnee would receive a GH₵5,500 grant, the caucus alleges that some individuals were paid as little as GH₵2,000. Jinapor described the handling of the funds as a "grand scheme of corruption" and emphasized that the demand for accountability is a constitutional duty rather than a personal vendetta. He also refuted allegations that the Minority had coached evacuees to speak against the government, asserting that their findings were based on independent investigations.

In response, Minister Ablakwa has strongly denied any financial impropriety, maintaining that all 1,964 returnees received their full financial support. He has welcomed the call for an audit but requested that it be expanded to cover all evacuation exercises conducted since 2017 to ensure transparency across multiple administrations. Supporting the Minister's position, Michael Addo, a spokesperson for the returnees, held a separate press briefing where he insisted that they received the full GH₵5,500 package and denied being influenced by political actors to fabricate grievances against the state.

The Minority has warned that if the Minister does not resign or if President John Mahama fails to dismiss him, they will initiate a vote of censure under Article 82 of the Constitution. A censure motion requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament and would compel the President to act against the minister. The caucus maintains that the administration's Code of Conduct for Political Appointees necessitates swift action to restore public trust. Meanwhile, critics such as Kwadwo Poku of INSTEPR have warned that the Minister could face future prosecution if these financial discrepancies remain unresolved.