The Minority in Parliament has called for the immediate resignation of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa over alleged financial irregularities in the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa.
The Minority has also urged President John Dramani Mahama to terminate the minister’s appointment if he refuses to resign, warning that it may initiate parliamentary proceedings for a vote of censure against him.
The demands were announced by the Ranking Member of Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Damongo, at a press conference in Parliament on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
Mr Jinapor said further investigations by the Minority, coupled with media reports on the evacuation exercise, had raised serious concerns about the management of public funds allocated to the operation.
He called for a comprehensive independent audit by an internationally reputable accounting firm to establish how the money was spent and determine whether the expenditure was properly accounted for.
The controversy centres on the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa following reported threats to their safety.
According to Mr Jinapor, the Minority initially supported the exercise because of the need to protect Ghanaians whose safety had reportedly been threatened.
However, he said the support came with the expectation that public resources committed to the operation would be used appropriately and accounted for transparently.
The Foreign Affairs Minister subsequently announced that the evacuation exercise cost GH¢49,721,786.
Mr Jinapor said the Minority invoked the Right to Information Act to obtain an itemised account of the expenditure, together with supporting documentation, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He explained that after receiving the documents, the Minority examined them and compared the information with figures and explanations the minister had provided publicly.
According to him, the review uncovered discrepancies between the minister’s account and entries contained in payment registers submitted by the ministry.
“These differences, duplicated entries, gaps in the supporting records and expenditure that required further explanation,” Mr Jinapor said, formed the basis of the Minority’s initial concerns.
He said the Minority subsequently raised the issues publicly and called for an independent audit of the exercise.
Although the minister later appeared in the media to defend the ministry’s handling of the evacuation and explain the expenditure, Mr Jinapor maintained that the initial questions has not been adequately addressed.
He said subsequent inquiries has uncovered further anomalies that, in the Minority’s view, warranted a more comprehensive investigation.
The Minority’s latest concerns follow media investigations that have reportedly identified evacuees who did not receive allowances they were expected to receive.
Mr Jinapor cited reports of duplicated entries, payments recorded without signatures and expenditure for which supporting receipts were allegedly unavailable.
He said these findings raises questions about whether the amounts recorded in the ministry’s documents accurately reflects the payments received by the intended beneficiaries.
The Minority believes the reported discrepancies require independent verification to establish the full extent of any financial irregularities and determine whether public funds were misapplied.
Mr Jinapor described the evidence gathered by the Minority as pointing to serious financial irregularities, possible misuse of public funds and potential fraud.
The Minority says an independent examination of the records is necessary to establish the facts and determine responsibility.
Mr Jinapor also rejected allegations reportedly made at a press conference by some persons identifying themselves as evacuees that members of the Minority had paid them to speak against the government.
He insisted that the Minority has neither paid nor persuaded any evacuee to make allegations against the government.
According to him, some of the evacuees decided to speak publicly after comparing what they believed they were entitled to receive with the amounts they said they had actually received.
The Ranking Member said their accounts should be examined alongside the ministry’s payment records and other supporting documents.
He further expressed concern over media reports that the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria had warned evacuees against speaking to the media about the matter.
Mr Jinapor questioned why the mission would discourage the evacuees from discussing the exercise if the ministry had nothing to conceal.
He also cited accounts attributed to some evacuees who reportedly said they had not received the amounts the ministry claimed they had been paid or had allegedly signed for.
The claims concerning the payments and the alleged warning from the High Commission require verification from the relevant parties.
The Minority has placed responsibility for the alleged irregularities on Mr Ablakwa, arguing that the minister supervised the exercise and should account for the management of the funds.
Mr Jinapor accused the minister of presiding over what he described as serious irregularities, possible financial misconduct and potential fraud.
He argued that the circumstances surrounding the evacuation has undermined confidence in the minister’s stewardship of public resources and brought his office into disrepute.
The Minority is therefore demanding that Mr Ablakwa accept responsibility for the controversy, even as it calls for an independent audit to establish the facts.
The Minority has outlined four principal demands in response to the controversy.
First, it is reiterating its call for a comprehensive independent audit of the evacuation exercise by an internationally reputable accounting firm with a proven track record and unquestionable integrity.
The proposed audit, according to the Minority, should establish how the GH¢49.7 million was spent and clarify the discrepancies identified in the payment records and supporting documents.
Second, it is demanding Mr Ablakwa’s immediate resignation to allow for an impartial investigation into the allegations.
Mr Jinapor referred to Section 2.1(j) of President Mahama’s 2025 Code of Conduct and Ethics for Political Appointees, which he said requires a minister to resign where their actions or leadership result in significant failure, corruption or a breach of public trust.
The Minority argues that the minister should accept responsibility in accordance with the standards outlined in the code.
Third, the Minority is calling on President Mahama to terminate Mr Ablakwa’s appointment if he fails to resign.
Mr Jinapor cited Article 81A of the Constitution in support of the Minority’s demand, urging the President to ensure that the standards governing political appointees have consequences when public confidence in their leadership is seriously undermined.
Fourth, the Minority warned that it would consider initiating parliamentary proceedings for a vote of censure against the minister if he remains in office.
It cited Article 82 of the 1992 Constitution and Order 138 of Parliament’s Standing Orders as the basis for pursuing that option.
A vote of censure would provide a parliamentary mechanism for members to formally express their disapproval of the minister’s conduct, subject to the applicable constitutional and parliamentary procedures.
The controversy over the South Africa evacuation has intensified scrutiny of the government’s management of public funds committed to the exercise.
At the centre of the dispute are the GH¢49.7 million expenditure figure announced by the Foreign Affairs Minister, the payment records submitted by the ministry and allegations from some evacuees about allowances they say they did not receive.
While the Minority maintains that the discrepancies warrant urgent action, an independent audit could help establish whether the reported inconsistencies resulted from documentation or administrative failures, improper payments or other forms of financial misconduct.
The findings would also be important in determining whether any public funds were lost or misapplied and whether individuals should be held accountable.
For now, the Minority is insisting that the minister should resign or face possible parliamentary action, while calling on the President to intervene.
By 1960news.com
