‘It’s a storm in a teacup until there’s strong evidence of wrongdoing’ – Sulemana Braimah on SA evacuation

Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, has described the controversy surrounding the government’s evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa as a “storm in a teacup”, saying that allegations of wrongdoing should not be entertained without concrete evidence.

He said although questions about the cost of the exercise and the use of public funds were legitimate, the criticism surrounding the operation appeared excessive in the absence of further evidence to support claims of financial impropriety.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 31, Mr Braimah said the evacuation, led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was a commendable intervention aimed at protecting Ghanaians caught up in the situation in South Africa.

“From all that I have followed, all that I’ve heard, all the analysis that I’ve seen, until there is any additional concrete evidence to back some of these things, I think that this is, for me, a storm in a teacup,” he said.

He praised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for taking steps to bring Ghanaians home, noting that Ghana had been among the first countries to respond to the situation by arranging the evacuation of its citizens.

Mr Braimah said although the reported figure of 1,964 evacuees had been disputed, the arrival of Ghanaians and arrangements made to ensure their safety were not in question.

He said that the importance of the exercise should be considered when assessing the amount spent on it.

The MFWA Executive Director said the reported GH¢49.7 million spent on the exercise translated into an average cost of about GH¢25,000 per person, based on the figure of 1,964 evacuees.

He explained that the amount covered several expenses, including flights, accommodation, medication, transportation and reintegration support.

According to him, the calculation also included a GH¢5,000 reintegration package and GH¢500 for transportation for each returnee.

“If you do the analysis based on the GH¢49.7 million, and if the total number of people that we are told were brought in, 1,964, is indeed the figure, it comes down to an average of about GH¢25,000 per person,” he said.

He added that the expenditure should be viewed in the context of the government’s responsibility to protect the lives of Ghanaians abroad.

Mr Braimah also compared the evacuation costs with the money spent repatriating the bodies of two Ghanaians who died, saying GH¢84,000 had been spent on bringing their remains back to the country.

He said that the comparison raised questions about the criticism of the amount spent to bring living citizens to safety.

“Now, remember that GH¢84,000 was spent in repatriating the bodies of two people. So, you look at the cost of repatriating bodies versus the cost of bringing people into safety, and you realise that we spent almost double the amount of bringing in bodies compared to bringing in people to safety,” he said.

He therefore urged the public to approach the debate with a sense of perspective, arguing that the money spent should also be assessed against the lives protected through the operation.

“If it costs us more to bring in bodies, then why would we really be doing all this politics over what, for me, now looks like much ado about nothing?” he asked.

Despite defending the evacuation, Mr Braimah stressed that the importance of the exercise did not exempt the government from accounting for the money spent.

Responding to a question on whether the government should wait for an audit before addressing concerns about the expenditure, he said accountability was necessary regardless of the circumstances surrounding the operation.

He maintained that the public had a right to know how the money was spent and that the government should provide the necessary explanations.

“The fact that the exercise was so important does not mean accountability shouldn’t matter,” he said.

Mr Braimah also drew attention to the source of the funding, saying part of the reported GH¢49.7 million came from private donations rather than public funds.

He said GH¢16 million of the total was reportedly contributed privately, meaning the amount attributable to public funds was about GH¢33.7 million.

“We are told that out of the GH¢49.7 million, GH¢16 million of it was a private donation. So, in terms of strictly talking about public money, it is about GH¢33 point something million, and I think that distinction must also be made,” he added.

The controversy follows the government’s reported expenditure of GH¢49.72 million to evacuate 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa amid renewed xenophobic attacks and threats against foreign nationals.

The exercise, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between May 27 and September 4, 2026, covered chartered flights, accommodation, feeding, medical care, transportation and reintegration support.

Of the total amount, GH¢33.72 million reportedly came from government funds, while GH¢16 million was donated by Engineers and Planners, a company owned by Ibrahim Mahama.

The expenditure came under scrutiny after the Minority in Parliament questioned the accuracy of the evacuation records and how the funds were used. The controversy was further heightened by a JoyNews Research investigation published on October 24, which uncovered discrepancies in payment records, including duplicate names, missing signatures, questions surrounding reintegration allowances, and gaps in supporting receipts.

The findings prompted renewed calls for accountability, with the Minority demanding further investigations, while the Foreign Affairs Ministry has maintained that the exercise was properly accounted for and welcomed an audit by the Auditor-General.