VIDEO: Ablakwa details GH¢49.7m SA evacuation spending, rejects Minority’s claims of unaccounted funds
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has presented a detailed defence of the GH¢49.72 million spent evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa, rejecting the Minority’s claims that more than GH¢16 million remains unaccounted for.
In a live presentation on JoyNews Newsfile programme, titled “Accounting to the Ghanaian People on the South Africa Xenophobia Evacuation”, the Minister outlined the operation’s funding, flight arrangements and allowance payments, supported by copies of passenger lists, airline receipts and payment acknowledgement sheets.
In all, 1,964 Ghanaians were evacuated between 27 May and 4 September 2026. Each returnee, including children and infants, received GH¢5,000 as a reintegration allowance and GH¢500 for transport.
The document also contains a letter dated 17 September 2026 requesting a special audit of government evacuation exercises undertaken since 2017.
How the GH¢49.72 million was funded and spent
The minister puts the total expenditure at GH¢49,721,786, comprising GH¢33,721,786 from the government and a GH¢16 million donation from Engineers and Planners.
He rejects suggestions that the company’s contribution was concealed, saying the ministry voluntarily accounted for the exercise on 7 September, three days after its completion.
“The Ministry did not conceal Engineers & Planners’ GHS 16 million donation,” the presentation states.
It also cites the government’s decision to decline a separate GH¢20 million offer from MTN as part of the minister’s defence of the operation’s integrity.
The expenditure breakdown allocates GH¢38,835,512 to chartered flights, tickets, ground transport, feeding, hotel accommodation in South Africa, and medical and hospitalisation costs.
Reintegration and transport allowances accounted for GH¢10,802,000, while the repatriation of the two bodies and autopsy costs amounted to GH¢84,274.
The allowance total corresponds to GH¢5,500 for each of the 1,964 evacuees.
Chartered and commercial flights
A central point of disagreement concerns the number of people brought home on commercial flights.
According to Mr Ablakwa, 956 people returned on three chartered flights: 294 on 27 May, 325 on 6 June and 337 on 7 June.
A further 1,008 returned on commercial services between 26 July and 4 September. The presentation gives the airline breakdown as 260 passengers on Ethiopian Airlines, 598 on Air Tanzania, 130 on ASKY and 20 on EgyptAir.
Together, the chartered and commercial passenger figures total 1,964.
The Minister disputes a figure of 247 commercial passengers attributed to the Minority, arguing that the records supplied establish a substantially higher number.
“Airline receipts and boarding passes were attached to the report, and we have copies here for verification,” the document states.
Allowances for adults and children
The Minister also challenges the Minority’s assessment of how many evacuees received their allowances.
His presentation says all 1,964 returnees received both payments and that acknowledgement sheets accompanied the ministry’s report.
It includes photographed payment sheets, with some entries highlighted, and a section specifically addressing records relating to minors.
Responding to questions about infants, the presentation states: “Yes, every evacuee received a reintegration allowance of GHS5,000 and a transportation allowance of GHS 500.”
Mr Ablakwa argues that children were entitled to the same support as adults under the government’s announced arrangements.
He further maintains that no Ghanaian evacuated from South Africa has denied receiving both allowances. The presentation proposes contacting randomly selected beneficiaries to verify payment.
The minister’s response to the Minority’s calculations
Mr Ablakwa’s rebuttal identifies what he describes as inconsistencies in the Minority’s press statement.
According to his presentation, paragraphs 19 and 22 of that statement cite different amounts allegedly requiring explanation: GH¢16,423,470 and GH¢16,302,586.
He also disputes a claim, attributed to paragraphs nine and ten, that only 824 people received both allowances.
The minister says paragraph 15 of the same statement records separate counts of 1,508 people who signed for the GH¢5,000 reintegration allowance and 1,001 who signed for the GH¢500 transport allowance.
He presents those figures as evidence that the Minority’s assessment is unreliable and maintains that the ministry’s records account for payments to all evacuees.
The presentation also addresses the Minority’s reference to 442 minors receiving allowances, arguing that their inclusion was consistent with the decision to support every returnee.
These are the minister’s rebuttals to the Minority’s allegations. The presentation does not contain a completed independent audit establishing a final finding on the disputed expenditure.
Records submitted and audit requested
The ministry says documents supplied to Parliament and in response to a Right to Information request included flight manifests, tickets, boarding passes, commercial airline receipts and acknowledgement sheets for both allowances.
Other supporting records covered ground transport in South Africa, accommodation, feeding, medical bills and autopsy expenses.
In his 17 September letter to the Auditor-General, Mr Ablakwa requests an independent examination of the financial and administrative arrangements for emergency evacuations undertaken since 2017.
The proposed review includes the COVID-19 evacuation in 2020, Ukraine in 2022, Sudan in 2023 and South Africa in 2026, alongside any other exercise the Auditor-General considers relevant.
The accompanying terms of reference propose examining approved and released funds, transport and accommodation expenditure, procurement procedures, supporting documents, outstanding liabilities and unused balances.
They also call for an assessment of the ministry’s systems for planning, funding and accounting for emergency evacuations, with separate reports on the exercises reviewed.
The ministry pledges access to relevant records and full co-operation. The proposed completion timeframe is to be agreed with the Auditor-General.
Below is a video of the Minister's PowerPoint presentation
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