NPP demands Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa resign over GH 49.7m evacuation

The Minority in Parliament and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Youth Wing have called for the immediate resignation or dismissal of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. The demand follows allegations of financial irregularities and discrepancies in the GH 49.72 million expenditure used for the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa amid xenophobic threats. Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has challenged the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to accept the same level of public scrutiny it demanded while in opposition, threatening a vote of censure if the Minister remains in office.

The opposition's concerns center on what they describe as inconsistencies in payment records and the high per-capita cost of the operation, which averages approximately GH 25,000 per person. NPP National Youth Organiser Abanga Fuseini Yakubu also raised questions regarding the management of diplomatic passports and requested an independent investigation by the Auditor-General. The Minority maintains that questioning government actions is a core democratic duty and has accused the NDC of being intolerant of accountability demands.

In defense of the Minister, several voices have characterized the controversy as politically motivated. Former MP Inusah Fuseini and Akwatia MP Bernard Bediako Baidoo argued that the calls for resignation are intended to tarnish Mr. Ablakwa’s reputation ahead of the 2028 elections. Mr. Baidoo, who praised the Minister's transparency in voluntarily disclosing the evacuation costs, even vowed to lead a demonstration should the Minister be forced out. Tensions over the issue recently escalated into a heated exchange on JoyNews’ Newsfile between the NPP's Miracles Aboagye and Mr. Baidoo.

Providing further context, Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, described the backlash as a "storm in a teacup," noting that GH 16 million of the evacuation costs were funded by a private donor, Engineers and Planners. While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has welcomed an audit by the Auditor-General to address the allegations, the political standoff continues to intensify, with the opposition insisting on a full accounting of the public funds used for the exercise.