NPP Demands Probe Into GH¢49.7M SA Evacuation Cost

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has demanded an independent audit of the GH¢49.72 million spent on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic violence, alleging discrepancies in expenditure records submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The party has given the government seven days to produce supporting documents, including flight invoices, contracts, payment vouchers and signed records showing allowances received by individual evacuees.

Speaking at a news conference, the NPP Director of Communications, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, accused Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa of offering explanations without sufficient documentary evidence to account for the expenditure.

He said the party was not questioning the humanitarian purpose of the evacuation but wanted verifiable records to establish how public funds were spent.

“Ghana did not ask the Minister for an explanation. Ghana asked for an account,” he said.

GH¢27m Flight Costs Questioned

Mr Aboagye said GH¢27.18 million, representing approximately 55 per cent of the total expenditure, was spent on chartered flights without corresponding invoices, contracts or identification of the operator in documents the party said it had received from the Ministry.

He said the emergency nature of the exercise did not remove the obligation to account for the payments.

The NPP said its concerns were based on documents attributed to the Ministry, including a response to a Right to Information (RTI) request dated September 18, 2026, a report to Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and accompanying annexes.

The party also challenged records relating to allowances reportedly paid to evacuees.

According to the NPP Director of Communications, the Minister indicated that each of the 1,964 returnees received GH¢5,000 and an additional GH¢500 for reintegration and transport.

However, the NPP claimed the payment sheets contained approximately 1,001 signatures for the GH¢500 allowance and 1,508 entries for the GH¢5,000 payment.

It further alleged that only 824 names appeared on both lists, leaving 1,140 people whose records did not establish receipt of both payments. The party valued the disputed amount at GH¢6.27 million.

It also questioned the GH¢10.802 million reported for reintegration and transport, arguing that the figure reflected a calculation based on the number of evacuees rather than evidence of actual payments.

ASKY Figures, GH¢16m Questioned

The NPP alleged that an ASKY Airlines invoice and receipt bearing the same reference number and date showed different amounts.

Mr Aboagye said the invoice stated US$79,727 while the receipt showed US$89,918, a difference of US$10,191.

He also questioned an alleged US$13,000 payment for 50 passengers who did not board the flight.

The party further questioned a GH¢16 million contribution attributed to Engineers & Planners.

Mr Aboagye said a letter from the Minister described the contribution as a cash donation, while the Ministry’s RTI response reportedly indicated that the company directly purchased airline tickets and provided reintegration support.

The NPP demanded clarification on whether the contribution was cash or direct purchases and questioned an alleged GH¢6.6 million difference between the contribution and airline receipts it had reviewed.

It also alleged discrepancies between two versions of a letter inviting the Auditor-General to review the expenditure.

NPP Issues Seven-Day Ultimatum

The party wants the Ministry to release all supporting documents, identify the charter operator and explain how the operator was selected under applicable procurement requirements.

It has also demanded clarification of the disputed airline figures and the Engineers & Planners contribution, alongside an independent audit by a firm of international standing, with its findings made public.

Mr Aboagye said the NPP would support the Minority in Parliament to pursue further questions, petition the Auditor-General to prioritise the expenditure and seek remedies under the RTI Act if its demands were not met.

He accused Mr. Ablakwa of abandoning the accountability standards he had advocated while in opposition.

The NPP maintains that the humanitarian purpose of the evacuation does not remove the obligation to account for public funds.

The specific allegations require verification against the underlying documents and a response from the Minister.

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