Omanghana
The Minority Caucus on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has withdrawn from a scheduled closed-door meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, demanding detailed records on the GH¢49.72 million spent evacuating and reintegrating Ghanaians from South Africa.
The committee had been scheduled to meet the minister on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, for a briefing on the operation. The Minority, however, said it would not participate until the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released the supporting financial documents.
The decision was announced in a statement signed by the committee’s Ranking Member and Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel A. Jinapor.
Jinapor said the Minority supported the government’s decision to protect Ghanaian citizens threatened by xenophobic attacks and anti-foreigner tensions in South Africa. He maintained, however, that the humanitarian purpose of the operation did not remove the government’s responsibility to account for public expenditure.
Ablakwa previously disclosed that GH¢49,721,786 was spent on the voluntary evacuation and reintegration of 1,964 Ghanaians. The exercise began on May 27 and ended on September 4, 2026.
According to the government’s published figures, the expenditure covered chartered flights, commercial air tickets, ground transportation, feeding, accommodation, medical treatment and hospitalization.
The government also spent GH¢10.802 million on reintegration and transport allowances, while GH¢84,274 was used to return two mortal remains to Ghana.
Each returnee reportedly received a GH¢5,000 reintegration grant and GH¢500 for transportation. Of the total expenditure, the government directly provided GH¢33.721 million, while Engineers and Planners contributed GH¢16 million.
Despite these aggregate figures, the Minority said it required invoices, manifests, procurement records and payment documents that would allow Parliament and the public to independently verify the expenditure.
The Caucus said it filed a formal request under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), on August 17, 2026. The request, referenced MP/BF/RTI/2026/007, was received by the Foreign Affairs Ministry on August 25.
The Minority requested records relating to flights and other transportation, accommodation, feeding, medical services, reintegration payments and the procurement processes used during the evacuation.
It also sought information on the sources of funding and the identities and specific contributions of private organizations involved in the exercise.
According to the Caucus, those documents had not been provided ahead of the closed-door meeting.
“The expenditure of public funds carries with it a corresponding duty of accountability,” the Minority stated.
It argued that announcing the total amount spent was not a substitute for releasing the underlying records needed to establish how the money was used and whether the operation delivered value for money.
The Minority said it would reconsider its participation when the requested documentation was provided, stressing that its position should not be interpreted as opposition to the rescue of distressed Ghanaians.
Source: Omanghana
