The Minority Caucus in Ghana’s Parliament has called for the immediate resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa over alleged financial discrepancies involving GH¢49.72 million spent on the evacuation of Ghanaian nationals from South Africa following reported xenophobic attacks.
The Minority, led by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary caucus, has raised concerns about the management of public funds used for the evacuation exercise, alleging that a GH¢16.4 million discrepancy remains unexplained.
The controversy has placed the minister’s financial accountability and administrative oversight under scrutiny, with the Minority demanding a comprehensive independent audit to establish how the money was spent.
Mr. Ablakwa, who chairs the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative, has previously advocated for accountability and anti-corruption measures. However, the opposition argues that the allegations surrounding the evacuation exercise require him to provide a detailed explanation of the expenditure under his ministry.
Minority Challenges Ablakwa Over GH¢27 Million Flight Costs
At a news conference on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Samuel A. Jinapor, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament for Damongo, questioned the reported cost of chartering three flights to evacuate Ghanaians from South Africa.
According to the Minority, more than GH¢27 million was reportedly spent on the three flights, an amount it said requires further justification.
The caucus cited concerns raised by aviation industry stakeholders who reportedly suggested that the flights should have cost significantly less than the amount indicated.
The opposition has therefore called on the Foreign Affairs Ministry to provide comprehensive supporting documents explaining the charter arrangements, payments and other expenses associated with the operation.
The Minority argues that the unresolved questions surrounding the flight costs and other expenditure items have weakened public confidence in the management of the evacuation exercise.
It has consequently urged President John Dramani Mahama to dismiss Mr. Ablakwa if he refuses to resign voluntarily.
GH¢16.4 Million Discrepancy Raises Public Financial Accountability Concerns
The Minority’s concerns centre on the reported GH¢49,721,786 spent on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaian nationals from South Africa.
Although the caucus said it supported the evacuation because of the government’s responsibility to protect Ghanaian citizens abroad, it maintains that the expenditure must be transparent and properly documented.
According to Mr. Jinapor, the Minority submitted a request under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), seeking a detailed breakdown of the evacuation costs and the relevant supporting documents.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry subsequently provided records, which the caucus said it examined against figures and explanations previously presented by the minister.
The Minority alleges that its review identified inconsistencies between some of the minister’s public statements and the available payment records.
It also raised concerns about possible duplicate entries, incomplete documentation and expenditure items that it believes require additional clarification.
The opposition says these findings justify an independent audit to determine whether the reported expenditure accurately reflects the payments made during the evacuation.
The allegations have not, by themselves, established that public funds were misappropriated. The requested audit would help determine whether the discrepancies resulted from accounting errors, incomplete records or other irregularities.
Minority Calls for Independent Audit of Evacuation Funds
The parliamentary caucus has renewed its demand for an independent examination of the entire evacuation exercise by an internationally reputable accounting firm.
According to the Minority, the audit should establish the accuracy of the ministry’s financial records, verify the authorisation of payments and determine whether public funds were used for their intended purposes.
The opposition also wants a reconciliation of the amounts recorded as paid to evacuees against the sums individual beneficiaries actually received.
The caucus argues that an independent audit would provide credible answers to the questions surrounding the GH¢49.7 million expenditure and help restore public confidence in government spending.
Although Mr. Ablakwa has reportedly defended the ministry’s handling of the operation in media appearances, the Minority maintains that his explanations have not adequately addressed its concerns.
It is therefore insisting that the government provide complete financial records and submit the expenditure to independent scrutiny.
Questions Over Allowances Paid to Ghanaian Evacuees
The controversy has expanded following media investigations that reportedly raised questions about payments and allowances due to some of the Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa.
At its news conference, the Minority cited allegations that certain beneficiaries did not receive the full amounts they were entitled to, despite payment records reportedly indicating that the money had been disbursed.
The caucus also referred to alleged duplicate payment entries, records without beneficiaries’ signatures and expenses for which supporting receipts were reportedly unavailable.
These claims have increased calls for a detailed review of the evacuation’s payment records.
The Minority says the audit should verify the identity of beneficiaries, confirm the amounts paid to each individual and establish whether the relevant documentation supports the reported expenditure.
It argues that such an investigation would help determine whether all payments were properly authorised and whether any discrepancies require further administrative or legal action.
The allegations remain subject to verification by the relevant authorities.
Ablakwa Faces Questions Over Operation Recover All Loot
As chairman of Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), Mr. Ablakwa has been associated with efforts to promote accountability and pursue the recovery of public funds allegedly lost through corruption.
The Minority has drawn attention to this position while questioning the minister’s handling of the evacuation expenditure.
The opposition argues that public officials who advocate transparency must also provide clear explanations when questions arise about expenditure under their supervision.
It has further invoked President Mahama’s Code of Conduct for political appointees, arguing that ministers must accept responsibility where significant administrative failures or breaches of public trust are established.
The caucus says the Foreign Affairs Minister’s continued leadership of the ministry has become untenable unless the outstanding questions are satisfactorily addressed.
However, the allegations against the minister have not been established as proven wrongdoing, and an independent investigation would be necessary to determine responsibility.
Minority Denies Paying Evacuees to Criticise Government
Mr. Jinapor also rejected allegations reportedly made at a separate news conference by individuals identifying themselves as evacuees, who claimed that members of the Minority had paid people to make statements against the government.
The Damongo MP denied that the caucus had paid or persuaded any evacuee to speak against the administration.
According to him, some evacuees chose to raise concerns after comparing the amounts they believed they were entitled to receive with what they said they had actually received.
The Minority maintains that the allegations about evacuation payments should be investigated on their merits rather than dismissed on the basis of claims concerning the political motivations of those raising them.
It says the central issue is whether the ministry’s payment records accurately reflect the amounts received by individual beneficiaries.
Questions Raised Over Ghana High Commission in Pretoria
The Minority has also questioned reports that the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria issued a warning to evacuees against speaking to the media about the controversy.
The caucus has called on the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the High Commission to clarify the reports.
It argues that Ghanaian citizens who participated in the evacuation should be able to raise legitimate concerns about their payments without intimidation.
Mr. Jinapor further claimed that some evacuees who attended the news conference said they had not received amounts that ministry records allegedly indicated had been paid to them.
These allegations, including the reported warning and discrepancies in payment records, require independent verification and responses from the institutions concerned.
Minority Threatens Parliamentary Action Against Foreign Affairs Minister
The Minority has warned that it will pursue available constitutional and parliamentary procedures if Mr. Ablakwa remains in office without satisfactorily addressing the allegations.
Among the measures under consideration is initiating proceedings for a vote of censure against the Foreign Affairs Minister.
The caucus insists that the reported financial discrepancies, questions about flight costs and concerns over evacuee allowances warrant a full investigation.
It has also challenged President Mahama to take action if the minister declines to resign.
The controversy has placed public financial accountability, parliamentary oversight and the management of government-funded emergency operations at the centre of political debate in Ghana.
The outcome will depend on the evidence available, the ministry’s response to the allegations and the findings of any independent audit or parliamentary investigation.
For now, the Minority is maintaining pressure on the Foreign Affairs Ministry to provide a complete account of the GH¢49.72 million expenditure and explain the discrepancies it says it has identified.
Source: newsthemegh.com