Omanghana
The New Patriotic Party’s Director of Communications, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has questioned the completeness of payment records for Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa, challenging the government’s assertion that all 1,964 returnees received their full financial support.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, October 18, 2026, Aboagye said the party’s review of documents released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had identified discrepancies requiring further explanation.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has maintained that each evacuee received GH¢5,500, comprising a GH¢5,000 resettlement grant and a GH¢500 transport allowance.
However, Aboagye alleged that the transport allowance records contained signatures for only 1,001 recipients, leaving 963 evacuees without signed acknowledgements on the sheets reviewed.
He also claimed that only 824 names appeared on both payment lists, raising questions about how the ministry reconciled the separate disbursements against the total number of returnees.
Aboagye argued that these gaps undermined the ministry’s assurances and called for proof of payment covering every beneficiary. Missing signatures alone, however, do not establish that the individuals concerned were unpaid or that funds were diverted.
The NPP communications director further questioned documentation relating to GH¢27.18 million reportedly spent on charter flights. He said the materials provided did not include original Ethiopian Airlines invoices or contracts needed to verify the expenditure.
The party has demanded the release of complete procurement approvals, charter flight invoices and reconciled beneficiary payment records within seven days.
Ablakwa has rejected allegations of missing funds, describing the controversy as politically manufactured. He maintains that the overall GH¢49.72 million spent on the evacuation has been fully accounted for.
The minister has also invited any returnee who did not receive the full resettlement grant and transport allowance to come forward with their details.
The disagreement centers on whether the released documents adequately substantiate the payments and flight costs. While the NPP is seeking additional records, the minister continues to defend the expenditure and insists that every evacuee received the promised support.
Source: Omanghana
