The Minority caucus of Parliament has demanded detailed documentary records to substantiate the government’s GH¢49.7 million expenditure on the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa following reported xenophobic attacks.
The Member of Parliament for Bosome-Freho and Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, said the government’s disclosure of the total cost must be backed by passenger manifests, invoices, procurement records, flight details and payment schedules to allow Parliament and the public to independently verify the account.
Speaking at a press briefing in Parliament, Mr Ayeh said the Minority fully supported the evacuation of Ghanaians whose lives, livelihoods and safety were threatened, but insisted that the emergency nature of the operation could not remove the government’s obligation to account for public funds.
“The issue before us today is therefore not whether endangered Ghanaians should have been evacuated. They should have been,” he said.
“The issue is whether, after an emergency operation involving nearly two thousand people, almost fifty million Ghana cedis, chartered aircraft, commercial air tickets, private financial support and several state institutions, the final public account can be verified from the underlying records.”
Mr Ayeh said he submitted a request under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) on August 17, 2026, seeking expenditure records, government funding details, private contributions, flight and procurement records and the reintegration account.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs received the request on August 25, while the Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, disclosed key financial and operational figures on September 7.
According to the government, 1,964 Ghanaians were evacuated at a total cost of GH¢49,721,786.
Of this amount, GH¢38,835,512 was spent on chartered flights, commercial air tickets, ground transportation, feeding, hotel accommodation, medical care and hospitalisation.
Another GH¢10,802,000 was allocated for reintegration and transportation allowances, with each evacuee reportedly receiving GH¢5,000 for reintegration and GH¢500 for transportation.
The government also reported GH¢84,274 in expenditure on the repatriation of two mortal remains.
The government’s direct contribution was put at GH¢33,721,786, while Engineers & Planners contributed GH¢16 million towards the exercise.
However, the Minority said the figures must now be reconciled with the underlying records.
“A headline figure is not an invoice. A press briefing is not a contract. And a total is not an account,” he stressed.
Minority questions evacuation figures
Mr Ayeh raised particular questions about the number of people evacuated during the first phase.
He said South Africa’s Border Management Authority reportedly recorded 300 Ghanaian nationals processed on May 27, of whom 295 were cleared to depart and board, while Ghana’s High Commissioner was reported to have said 297 travelled to Ghana.
For June 6 and 7, South African records reportedly showed 323 and 340 passengers respectively boarding the two charter flights.
However, Ghana’s contemporary public account reportedly gave the arrival figures as 297, 340 and 342, resulting in a total of 979.
The figure was later contradicted when the Foreign Affairs Minister, on July 27, described Phase One as involving 926 persons.
Mr Ayeh said the discrepancies required documentary reconciliation rather than political speculation.
“The South African departure record, Ghana’s contemporary arrival record and Government’s later Phase-One total do not presently reconcile,” he said.
“This is not an accusation of fraud. It is a reconciliation question.”
He called for the release of the relevant passenger manifests to establish the authoritative Phase One figure.
“Processed is not the same as cleared. Cleared is not the same as boarded. Boarded is not necessarily the same as arrived,” he said.
“The country should not be forced to guess which category was used in the final 1,964.”
Demand for commercial flight records
The Minority also wants a complete batch-by-batch account of the second phase, which was conducted largely through commercial flights.
Mr Ayeh said the Ministry reported on July 28 that 180 people had arrived, with another 36 expected, while by August 12 the government had indicated that more than 600 people had returned through commercial flights.
He cited subsequent movements, including 50 evacuees who arrived on an Air Tanzania flight on August 14 and 87 returnees identified as the 11th batch on August 17.
He therefore demanded the date, number of passengers, airline, itinerary, ticket issuer, payer and cost for every commercial batch, together with records of refunds, cancellations, reissued tickets and no-shows where applicable.
“For the 50 persons who arrived on Air Tanzania on 14 August, who issued the tickets, who received payment, who paid the invoice, and what was the total cost?” he asked. “Produce that one booking file.”
Questions over GH¢16m private contribution
Mr Ayeh also demanded a detailed schedule showing how the GH¢16 million contribution from Engineers & Planners was applied.
He said earlier public reports indicated that the company was financing air tickets for some returnees, but the final government account had not identified the passenger batches, airlines, invoices or suppliers against which the contribution was applied.
“We therefore do not assume how the contribution was ultimately applied. We ask Government to produce the schedule,” he said.
He also requested documentation on the contingency resources reportedly used to finance the evacuation, including the amount authorised and released, warrants or other Finance Ministry approvals and how those releases reconciled with the government’s stated GH¢33.72 million contribution.
‘Emergency procurement is still procurement’
On procurement, Mr Ayeh said the emergency nature of the exercise could justify expedited or exceptional procedures permitted under law but could not eliminate the need for documentation.
“Urgency may justify exceptional procurement procedures. It may justify speed. It may justify emergency or single-source arrangements where the law permits,” he said.
“But emergency procurement does not mean procurement without records.”
He called for contracts or booking records, invoices, evidence of payment, supplier details and approval trails for the major flight and service arrangements.
Minority seeks justice for affected Ghanaians
Beyond the financial account, Mr Ayeh urged the government to pursue justice for Ghanaians whose businesses and properties were allegedly affected during the xenophobic attacks.
He called for an update on the number of compensation claims registered, documented property and business losses, representations made to South African authorities and any investigations or prosecutions.
“Bringing people home was the first duty. Pursuing justice for what happened to them is also part of the State’s responsibility,” he said.
Mr Ayeh stressed that the Minority was not seeking an endless investigation but a finite documentary account capable of reconciling the major figures.
He called for a final unique-person evacuation ledger, appropriately redacted to protect sensitive information, alongside the GH¢5,500 beneficiary-payment ledger.
He also demanded a complete flight and batch schedule, procurement records, details of the Engineers & Planners contribution, contingency-funding records and a breakdown of the GH¢38.835 million operational expenditure.
“Our position is simple. We support the decision to protect Ghanaian citizens. We commend those who helped. We recognise the Minister’s September 7 disclosure as an important step,” Mr Ayeh said.
“But the Minister’s account cannot become self-verifying merely because it was announced at a press conference.”
He said the records should allow the travel figures to reconcile with beneficiary payments, passenger manifests with the final evacuation totals, and flight invoices with the reported expenditure.
“We do not need accusations where documents can provide answers. We do not need speculation where records can establish facts,” he said.
“A press statement gives us the Minister’s account. The records allow the country to verify the account. A total is not an account.”
Source: Felix Nyaaba/expressnewsghana.com
