Parliament's Minority demands probe into GH¢16.4m gap in South Africa evacuee spending

Ghana's parliamentary Minority has raised serious questions about the accounting of government funds spent on evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa, alleging that over GH¢16.4 million in expenditure lacks adequate documentation and explanation.

The controversy centres on the government's GH¢49.72 million evacuation operation conducted between May and September 2026, following renewed xenophobic violence targeting foreign nationals in South Africa. Deputy Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh presented the findings after reviewing documents supplied by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in response to a parliamentary Right to Information request.

The accounting concerns

After subjecting more than 200 pages of ministry records to independent third-party scrutiny, the Minority identified multiple discrepancies. The central issue involves the reintegration grants and transport allowances distributed to evacuees. The government reported evacuating 1,964 people and distributing GH¢5,000 reintegration grants and GH¢500 transport allowances to each person.

However, when the Minority examined the payment registers, they could only match 824 names across both lists. This shortfall of 1,140 people translates to approximately GH¢6.27 million unaccounted for under this category alone. Beyond this significant gap, Mr Ayeh's review identified additional discrepancies involving duplicate entries, payments involving minors, unexplained transport allowances and commercial flight records that do not reconcile with the reported evacuee numbers.

The Minority emphasises that these findings do not necessarily establish that funds were misappropriated or beneficiary figures deliberately falsified. Rather, they highlight documentation problems that require thorough investigation and clarification from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

What this means for Ghana's public accountability

The audit concerns touch on a fundamental issue in Ghana's governance: how emergency humanitarian operations are subjected to financial oversight and transparency. While acknowledging the urgent humanitarian necessity of evacuating Ghanaians facing xenophobic violence, the Minority argues convincingly that emergency circumstances do not exempt government from properly accounting for public funds.

The case involves substantial sums from the national budget and raises questions about record-keeping practices within the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Poor documentation—whether incomplete signatures, missing payment receipts, or unmatched beneficiary lists—undermines public confidence in government spending, particularly on operations that directly affect citizens' welfare.

The evacuation exercise was funded through two sources: GH¢33.72 million in direct government allocation and GH¢16 million attributed to Engineers & Planners, a company owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama. This mixed funding structure adds another layer requiring transparent documentation.

Next steps and broader implications

The Minority has specifically requested that the Ministry provide itemised expenditure records, payment registers, flight manifests and procurement details to resolve the identified gaps. They want clarity on whether discrepancies reflect incomplete record retention, missing documentation, separate payment channels or other explanations.

An independent audit would establish standard financial practices for future emergency operations and strengthen Ghana's accountability mechanisms. As the country continues managing complex humanitarian situations, particularly given regional instability, establishing robust financial oversight protocols becomes increasingly important.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry is expected to respond to these parliamentary queries, offering an opportunity to either reconcile the figures or explain the documentary limitations encountered during the rapid evacuation operation.