NPP demands audit of GH‵49.7m South Africa evacuation expenditure

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to provide detailed documentation and account for GH‵49.7 million spent on evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic attacks. The opposition party is alleging significant inflation of costs, specifically regarding chartered flights, and has identified what they describe as "impossible" data within the ministry's official records. While the Minister insists all expenditures are fully documented and transparent, the NPP is calling on the Auditor-General to prioritize a special audit into the operation to address an alleged GH‵16 million discrepancy.

At the center of the controversy is the GH‵27 million bill for three chartered flights. NPP Director of Communications, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, and other party spokespersons claim the ministry paid US$750,000 per flight, totaling US$2.25 million. They argue this figure is vastly higher than the prevailing industry rates of between US$180,000 and US$300,000 per flight, suggesting a potential overpayment of at least US$1.35 million. The NPP has challenged the ministry to publish the original invoices from Ethiopian Airlines and clarify allegations that the ministry’s Chief Director may have pressured agents to issue new, backdated invoices months after the flights were completed.

Adding to the scrutiny are reports of major data discrepancies in the list of 1,964 evacuees provided by the ministry. Investigations highlighted by the NPP's Kofi Tonto and JoyNews revealed that at least 14 individuals were listed with impossible personal details, including birth dates on February 31 and years as far in the future as 2034 and 2036. The party also flagged concerns regarding duplicate passport numbers and multiple payments made to the same beneficiaries, raising questions about potential fraud or gross administrative negligence in the management of the evacuation database.

Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has rejected these claims, describing the Minority's allegations as a mixture of errors and fabrications. He maintains that the GH‵49.7 million expenditure was necessary to ensure the safety of Ghanaian citizens and has assured the public that all records are in order. However, the NPP insists that if the requested invoices, agreement documents, and payment records are not submitted to Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee within the one-week deadline, they will pursue further parliamentary action to ensure accountability for the use of public funds.