The Member of Parliament for Akyem Oda and Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Select Committee on Local Government and Rural Development, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, has criticised Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa over claims that he has filed an injunction to prevent JoyNews from airing a documentary on Ghana’s evacuation exercise in South Africa.
Mr Acquah, a former Deputy Minister of Health, expressed disbelief at the allegation, suggesting that any attempt to stop the documentary from being broadcast would raise concerns about transparency and accountability in the handling of the evacuation exercise.
Reacting to the claim in a social media post, the lawmaker wrote: “Wonders they say shall never end. It is unbelievable to hear that Okudjeto has run to the court to injunct JOY from showing the documentary on the SA evacuation exercise.”
His comments come amid heightened political debate over the government’s expenditure on the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa, following reports of xenophobic attacks and related safety concerns.
The exercise has attracted public scrutiny, particularly over the reported GH¢49.72 million expenditure and questions about the documentation used to account for the funds.
The evacuation exercise has become a subject of political controversy, with opposition figures demanding greater clarity on the expenditure and the documentation supporting payments made during the operation.
JoyNews reportedly conducted independent checks on official records and Right to Information (RTI) documents released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of its investigation into the exercise.
The reported findings included clerical anomalies in some of the records, including 14 evacuees whose listed birth dates appeared inconsistent, with some records indicating birth years of 2034 and 2036.
The investigation also reportedly identified allowance sheets that lacked signatures for 44 individuals, alongside questions about reconciling the total number of evacuees with the expenditure reported for the exercise.
These issues have contributed to calls for further explanations from the government regarding the accuracy of the records and the management of public funds.
However, the reported discrepancies do not, on their own, establish that public funds were misappropriated. Further clarification from the relevant authorities would be required to determine the nature and implications of the anomalies.
The claim that Mr Ablakwa has approached the court to prevent JoyNews from broadcasting the documentary has circulated on social media and attracted political commentary.
However, the allegation has not been independently confirmed, and details of any purported court application, including the court involved, the date of filing and the specific reliefs sought, remain unclear.
It is therefore not yet established whether the Foreign Affairs Minister has filed an injunction or whether a court has issued any order restricting the documentary’s broadcast.
If confirmed, such a legal move would likely intensify public debate over media freedom, access to information and the public’s right to scrutinise the use of state resources.
Any assessment of the matter would, however, depend on the actual court filings and the legal grounds, if any, advanced by the parties involved.
The controversy places renewed attention on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the need for clear explanations regarding the evacuation exercise and the records used to account for the reported expenditure.
The minister has previously faced questions from opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the GH¢49.72 million expenditure, with critics calling for an independent examination of the figures and supporting documents.
The latest allegation concerning JoyNews has added another dimension to the debate, shifting attention from the financial details of the evacuation to questions about whether the documentary could be broadcast.
As the controversy unfolds, confirmation of the alleged court action and a response from Mr Ablakwa would be necessary to establish the facts.
For now, Mr Acquah’s comments reflect the growing political pressure on the government to address concerns surrounding the evacuation exercise, while the allegation that the minister has sought to block the documentary remains unverified.
By 1960news.com
