Minority uncovers GH¢16m ‘black hole’ in Ablakwa’s GH¢49m Evacuation Bill

According to report by Ghanaweb on Sunday 11, October 2026, the Minority in Parliament has called for greater transparency and accountability over the GHS 49.7 million spent on the evacuation of Ghanaian nationals from South Africa following incidents of xenophobic violence. The group has raised concerns about discrepancies in payment registers and flight records, arguing that more than GHS 16.4 million in expenditure requires further clarification.

The concerns were raised by Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, who said a review of the available documentation had revealed gaps between the government’s reported figures and the records examined by the Minority.

The evacuation exercise, which took place between May 27 and September 4, 2026, reportedly brought 1,964 Ghanaians back to the country. The operation was funded by the government and Engineers & Planners as part of efforts to assist citizens affected by xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

However, the Minority maintains that the humanitarian objective of the exercise must be accompanied by a clear account of how public funds were disbursed.

One of the major concerns relates to payments intended to support evacuees after their return to Ghana. According to the reported arrangements, each returnee was entitled to a GHS 5,000 reintegration grant and a GHS 500 transport allowance.

The Minority said its examination of the signed payment registers identified only 824 names that could be matched across both payment packages, significantly below the stated total of 1,964 evacuees. This discrepancy has raised questions about approximately GHS 6.27 million, which the group says requires reconciliation and further explanation.

Additional concerns have emerged over the reported use of commercial flights during the evacuation. Official figures indicated that 1,038 people travelled to Ghana through commercial flight arrangements. However, the Minority said the documents it reviewed provided evidence for only 247 passengers.

This leaves a difference of 791 passengers between the reported figure and the records examined. The Minority estimates that approximately GHS 7.18 million in flight-related expenditure requires further clarification.

Despite raising these concerns, the Minority has emphasised that it is not accusing officials of stealing funds or deliberately inflating the number of evacuees. Instead, it is calling for a comprehensive reconciliation of the expenditure and an independent audit by a reputable accounting firm.

The proposed audit, according to the Minority’s position, would help establish whether the funds were properly accounted for, clarify the discrepancies identified in the available records and provide the public with a reliable explanation of the expenditure.

The evacuation was undertaken in response to a humanitarian situation that required the safe return of Ghanaian citizens from South Africa. Nevertheless, the Minority argues that the successful completion of the exercise should not prevent scrutiny of the financial arrangements involved.

As public attention turns to the reported discrepancies, the demand for an independent audit places renewed emphasis on the importance of transparent financial reporting, proper documentation and accountability in the management of public resources.

A detailed reconciliation of the payment registers, passenger manifests and expenditure records could help determine the reasons for the differences and address the concerns raised.

Ultimately, the issue centres on ensuring that the GHS 49.7 million expenditure is supported by verifiable documentation and that the public receives a clear account of how the money was used. While the evacuation’s humanitarian purpose remains significant, the Minority insists that financial accountability is equally necessary to sustain public confidence in the management of such operations.

The Minority caucus has called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to commission an independent audit into discrepancies identified in government expenditure on an evacuation exercise, raising concerns about the accountability and transparency of public funds.

The caucus is demanding the release of comprehensive passenger manifests, flight tickets, invoices, receipts and payment records to establish whether the amounts spent on commercial flights and other support services correspond with the final number of people evacuated.

According to the Minority’s review, initial discrepancies amount to approximately GH₵13.4 million. This comprises an alleged GH₵6.27 million gap in reintegration and transportation payments, alongside an estimated GH₵7.18 million in flight-related expenditure. The amount represents about 27 per cent of the total GH₵49,721,786 announced by the government as expenditure on the evacuation exercise.

The lawmakers argue that the discrepancies require thorough independent verification to determine whether they resulted from incomplete documentation, administrative errors or potential financial irregularities. They insist that a transparent review is necessary to establish the accuracy of the reported expenditure and ensure that public funds were properly utilised.

Among the issues highlighted in the Minority’s assessment are alleged duplicate entries in several registers and flight manifests. The review reportedly identified 38 duplicate names on page 58 and six on page nine of the register used to document GH₵5,000 reintegration payments. Similar concerns were also raised about entries in transportation registers and passenger manifests.

The caucus has also questioned the handling of payments involving minors. A manual count of the GH₵5,000 reintegration register reportedly identified 442 minors among 1,708 individuals recorded. The Minority is seeking clarification on whether the payments intended for these children were made directly or through their parents, guardians or other authorised representatives.

According to the caucus, questions surrounding the treatment of minors and the alleged duplicate entries could increase the total amount requiring clarification to GH₵16,423,470. This figure represents approximately 33 per cent of the overall evacuation expenditure announced by the government.

To address these concerns, the Minority is calling for a comprehensive independent audit by a reputable auditing firm, suggesting Deloitte Ghana, KPMG Ghana, PricewaterhouseCoopers Ghana or Ernst & Young Ghana as possible options.

The proposed audit, the lawmakers maintain, should examine all relevant financial and travel documentation, verify the payments made to evacuees and service providers, and establish whether the official figure of 1,964 evacuees is supported by verifiable travel records.

The demand comes amid calls for greater accountability in the management of public resources. The Minority argues that an independent examination would help clarify the discrepancies, establish the accuracy of the reported expenditure and strengthen public confidence in the handling of government-funded evacuation exercises.

However, the alleged discrepancies do not, in themselves, establish that funds were misappropriated. The proposed audit would be expected to determine whether the differences arose from documentation gaps, accounting errors, payment arrangements or other issues requiring further investigation.

The caucus maintains that a full reconciliation of the records is necessary to provide the public with a clear account of how the GH₵49.7 million was spent and whether the expenditure can be adequately justified by the services provided and the number of people evacuated.

Mr.Douglas feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com