The Chairperson and Leader of the People’s National Party (PNP), Janet Asana Nabla, has questioned the expenditure incurred by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa, alleging discrepancies between the reported cost of chartered flights and the amount paid.
In a social media posts, Ms Nabla claimed that each chartered flight used for the evacuation cost $300,000, rather than the $750,000 she attributed to the expenditure under scrutiny.
According to her, the three flights should have cost a total of $900,000, raising questions about the whereabouts of the remaining funds if the figures she cited are accurate.
She specifically demanded an explanation for what she described as a $1.4 million difference, equivalent to approximately GH¢16 million, between the alleged flight costs and the amount under scrutiny.
Ms Nabla further questioned the broader expenditure, alleging that GH¢32 million remained unaccounted for and calling for answers from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
“BREAKING! Ablakwa paid $300,000 per chartered flight, not $750,000. Three flights cost $900,000, not $2.3 million. Where is the remaining $1.4 million (GH¢16 million)? GH¢32 million unaccounted for. State banditry?” she wrote.
Her remarks add to the growing public scrutiny of the government’s expenditure on the evacuation of Ghanaians who fled xenophobic violence in South Africa.
Ms Nabla’s statement raises questions about the procurement and payment arrangements for the chartered flights, as well as the documentation supporting the total cost of the evacuation exercise.
Her central concern is whether the amount reportedly paid for the flights corresponds with the actual cost of the services provided.
The controversy follows questions raised by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which has demanded a comprehensive account of the GH¢49.72 million reportedly spent on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians fleeing xenophobic violence in South Africa.
The NPP has given Mr Ablakwa seven days to provide supporting documents for the expenditure, citing what it describes as discrepancies in information released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, particularly regarding the cost of chartered flights.
The party’s demand has intensified calls for transparency over the use of public funds for the evacuation exercise.
Ms Nabla’s latest intervention adds another political voice to the debate, with the PNP leader questioning the figures associated with the chartered flights and demanding an explanation for the alleged financial gap.
The evacuation expenditure controversy has placed renewed emphasis on the need for public institutions to provide clear and verifiable accounts of government spending.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs could help address the concerns by publishing the relevant contracts, invoices, payment records and a detailed breakdown of the total expenditure associated with the evacuation.
Such documentation would allow the public to distinguish between the cost of chartered flights and other expenses that may have been incurred during the operation.
As of the information contained in Ms Nabla’s statement, no supporting documents have been provided to independently establish her claim that each flight cost $300,000 or that GH¢32 million remains unaccounted for.
The key issue now is whether the ministry can provide a verifiable account of the expenditure and explain any differences between the amounts paid for the flights and the overall cost of the evacuation exercise.
By 1960news.com
