GH¢5,500 Allowances Controversy: What Hopeson Adorye Says About Duplicate Names in Records

The Director of Operations for the United Party, Hopeson Adorye, has urged caution in interpreting duplicate names found in payment records for the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa, stressing that such entries do not automatically indicate financial irregularities.

Adorye explained that different individuals could have identical names, while repeated passport numbers would warrant closer scrutiny and further investigation.

He made the remarks during an appearance on JoyNews’ AM Show on Tuesday, October 27, following a JoyNews Research investigation into the GH¢49.72 million spent on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa.

The investigation identified duplicate names in the payment records, payments documented without signatures and reports that some evacuees did not receive their full reintegration and transportation allowances.

The government had indicated that each evacuee was entitled to GH¢5,000 as a reintegration allowance and GH¢500 for transportation.

Adorye maintained that the records should be assessed using additional identifying information to determine whether the repeated entries relate to separate individuals or duplicate records for the same beneficiaries.

To illustrate his point, he recounted an experience in which he attempted to verify the passport details of a senior Member of Parliament.

The search reportedly returned several individuals with the same name, making it necessary to use the person’s photograph to establish the correct identity.

He said a similar situation could explain why some names appeared more than once in the evacuation payment records, although he emphasised the need to examine the details before drawing conclusions.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested further information from JoyNews to support its investigation into allegations that some evacuees received less than their approved allowances and that irregularities occurred in the records used to acknowledge payments.

Source: https://www.modernghana.com/news/1539613/duplicate-names-in-sa-evacuation-records-could.html

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