Minority boycotts South Africa evacuation briefing over GH¢50m brouhaha

The Minority Caucus on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has boycotted a closed-door meeting with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, over the government’s failure to provide a detailed account of the nearly GH¢50 million spent on the evacuation and reintegration of Ghanaians from South Africa.

The meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, 2026, is expected to provide the Minister an opportunity to brief the committee on the evacuation exercise, which followed xenophobic attacks that threatened the safety of Ghanaian nationals in South Africa.

However, the Minority says it will not participate in the meeting unless the Ministry provides an itemised account and supporting documents covering the expenditure.

In a statement signed by the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel A. Jinapor, the Minority said it had supported the government’s decision to evacuate Ghanaian nationals whose safety and welfare had been threatened.

It said its support for the evacuation did not, however, absolve the government of its obligation to account for the use of public funds.

The Minority said it submitted a formal request under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), on August 17, 2026, seeking comprehensive information and supporting records on the cost and financing of the exercise.

According to the statement, the request, referenced MP/BF/RTI/2026/007, was received by the Ministry on August 25, 2026.

The information requested included details of expenditure on flights and other transportation, accommodation, feeding, medical services, reintegration payments, procurement and payment records, as well as the sources of funding and the identities and contributions of private partners.

The Minority’s demand follows an announcement by Mr Ablakwa on September 7 that almost GH¢50 million had been spent on the evacuation and reintegration of 1,964 Ghanaians.

The Caucus said that despite the announcement, the Ministry had yet to provide the itemised account and supporting documentation it had requested.

It argued that the disclosure was necessary to enable Parliament and the public to ascertain how the funds were expended.

“The expenditure of public funds carries with it a corresponding duty of accountability,” the Minority said, adding that the government must account not only for the total amount spent but also for how the expenditure was incurred and the basis on which public funds were applied.

The Caucus consequently said it did not consider it appropriate to participate in a closed-door meeting on the matter while its request for the underlying expenditure records remained outstanding.

It said it would therefore not participate in Wednesday’s meeting unless the Ministry provided the requested documents.

The Minority reiterated its call for full disclosure of expenditure relating to the evacuation, saying it would continue to demand transparency and accountability in the use of taxpayers’ funds.

The statement was signed by Mr Jinapor in his capacity as Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

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