The Deputy Ranking Member of Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, has rejected a new set of documents submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in connection with Ghana’s evacuation of citizens from South Africa, alleging that the records contain discrepancies and were manufactured to address concerns raised by the Minority.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bosome Freho has called on Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to step aside or resign to pave the way for an independent investigation into the expenditure and documentation surrounding the evacuation exercise.
Addressing the media in Parliament on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Mr Ayeh accused the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of providing inconsistent records about the number of people evacuated and the payments made during the exercise.
He maintained that the Minority is not opposed to the evacuation, which he described as a humanitarian undertaking, but would not accept what he alleged was the use of the exercise as a conduit for financial misappropriation.
Mr Ayeh said the Minority had submitted a request under the Right to Information (RTI) law to obtain documents and other relevant information relating to the evacuation from South Africa to Ghana.
According to him, Mr Ablakwa subsequently announced that a 200-page document had been provided to Parliament and the Minority in response to the request.
However, he said the Minority’s examination of the documents revealed discrepancies in the number of evacuees, missing signatures and instances of names appearing more than once in different batches.
He questioned the figure of 1,964 evacuees cited in connection with the exercise, arguing that the records made available to the Minority did not establish that the stated number of individuals had been evacuated.
“We cannot even establish the 1,964. We have found a few of them. The rest of them, for us, they are ghosts. How can a ghost come out and say he didn’t receive the money?” he asked.
Mr Ayeh also alleged that some individuals listed in the records appeared in more than one batch, while some people whose names were included had not signed the relevant documents.
He said the Minority raised these concerns and expected the Minister to respond to the discrepancies identified.
The Bosome Freho MP said a subsequent set of approximately 300 pages of documents is submitted to the media house involved in the verification exercise.
He said the Minority has rejected the new records, arguing that they do not adequately address the concerns raised about the original documentation.
According to him, the new documents contained additional names, fresh entries and signatures that he alleged raised questions about the authenticity of the records.
“We reject the new set of documents because, one, it is against the RTI full disclosure. Two, those sets of documents are, we can confidently say, manufactured in the Ministry, supervised by the Minister,” he said.
Mr Ayeh described the alleged conduct as criminal and contrary to Ghanaian law, insisting that the Minister should not remain in office while the matter is being investigated.
He further alleged that some entries have been added to the records before they were submitted for independent verification.
Mr Ayeh also criticised Mr Ablakwa’s reported challenge to individuals who claim not to have received money connected to the evacuation to come forward publicly.
He argued that such a challenge could not resolve the issue if the records do not establish the identities and number of people who were evacuated.
According to the MP, the Minority’s central concern is whether the stated number of evacuees could be verified and whether the expenditure associated with the exercise could be properly accounted for.
He said a press conference held by the Minister on Monday, October 26, has not resolved the concerns raised by the Minority.
Mr Ayeh argued that even the sample records presented by the Minister reportedly contained discrepancies similar to those identified by the Minority.
He therefore insisted that the Minister should provide a complete and verifiable account of the exercise rather than challenge individuals to dispute the payments.
The Deputy Ranking Member maintained that approximately GH¢16.4 million remains unaccounted for in the evacuation expenditure, demanding a comprehensive explanation of how the money was spent.
He said the Minority expect the Ministry to produce records capable of establishing the identities of the evacuees, the payments made to them and the other expenses incurred during the operation.
To illustrate his concerns, Mr Ayeh presented what he described as records from an evacuation exercise undertaken under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
He said the documents contains details such as the hotels where evacuees were accommodated, hotel bills and receipts, as well as information identifying their destinations or places of residence in Ghana.
According to him, the level of detail in those records demonstrated the importance of maintaining proper documentation for a publicly funded evacuation exercise.
He contrasted those records with the documentation associated with the current exercise under the administration of President John Dramani Mahama, alleging that the latter had not adequately addressed the questions raised by the Minority.
Mr Ayeh further alleged that there are ongoing efforts to obtain receipts to address some of the discrepancies identified by the Minority.
The MP also questioned the cost of the charter flight used for the evacuation, arguing that the amount cited by the Minister was excessive.
He said the Minority’s calculations suggested that a flight involving a Boeing aircraft travelling from South Africa to Accra should cost substantially less than the reported amount.
According to Mr Ayeh, even after accounting for emergency arrangements and additional charges, the Minority estimates that the cost could be around US$400,000.
He contrasted that estimate with the reported US$750,000 cost of the charter flight, arguing that the difference requires further scrutiny.
Mr Ayeh accused the Minister of applying inconsistent standards in defending the expenditure, referring to an earlier instance in which Mr Ablakwa had relied on information from airline companies’ websites to assess the cost of a presidential journey.
He argued that a similar approach to verifying charter flight prices should be accepted when assessing the evacuation expenditure.
The MP maintained that the flight cost, together with the questions surrounding the number of evacuees and the supporting documents, justified an independent examination of the entire exercise.
Mr Ayeh said the Minister’s continued presence in office could undermine efforts to investigate the matter independently.
He alleged that the Ministry’s handling of the documents raises concerns about possible interference with evidence and called for the Minister to step aside while the relevant authorities examined the allegations.
“We are asking him to step aside or we are asking President John Dramani Mahama to ask him to resign or terminate his appointment,” he said.
He argued that the controversy had raised questions about the Minister’s credibility and the management of public funds.
Mr Ayeh also said the Minority believes that the circumstances surrounding the evacuation requires a thorough investigation into possible corruption and financial misappropriation.
He urged President Mahama to take action to ensure that an independent process could establish the facts without interference.
Despite its criticisms, Mr Ayeh stressed that the Minority did not oppose the evacuation of Ghanaian citizens from South Africa.
He said the Minority supported the humanitarian objective of bringing the affected individuals back to Ghana but insisted that the operation had to be conducted transparently and in accordance with proper financial and administrative procedures.
“We are not against the evacuation. We support the evacuation. In fact, we have even been an advocate of your evacuation,” he said.
He added that the humanitarian nature of the exercise should not prevent Parliament and the public from demanding accountability for the expenditure involved.
The Minority, he said, remains firm in its demand for the Minister to step aside to allow an independent investigation into the disputed records, the number of evacuees and the cost of the charter flight.
The controversy concerns Ghana’s evacuation of citizens from South Africa and questions raised by the Minority about the number of people evacuated, the payments reportedly made and the cost of the charter flight.
The Minority has questioned whether the records provided by the Ministry sufficiently account for the reported 1,964 evacuees and the expenditure associated with the exercise.
The latest comments by Mr Ayeh add to calls from opposition lawmakers for greater transparency and accountability in the handling of the evacuation.
The central issues requiring clarification include the verified number of evacuees, the authenticity and completeness of the supporting documents, the breakdown of payments and other expenses, and the basis for the charter flight’s reported cost.
By 1960news.com
