The Minority Caucus on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament says it will not participate in a closed-door meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The meeting is scheduled for today, Wednesday, September 16, 2026, to brief the Committee on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa. The Minority says it will only participate when government fully discloses how almost GH¢50 million was spent on the exercise.
In a statement signed by the Ranking Member of the Committee and Member of Parliament (MP) for Damongo, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, on Tuesday, September 15, the Minority said although it supported government’s decision to evacuate citizens caught up in xenophobic attacks in South Africa, that support cannot replace accountability.
The Minority disclosed that on August 17, 2026, it submitted a formal request under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), with reference number MP/BF/RTI/2026/007, for comprehensive information on the cost and financing of the evacuation.
According to the statement, the request was received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 25, 2026.
It says information sought included detailed expenditure on the evacuation, sources of funding, identities and contributions of private partners said to have supported the exercise, as well as costs related to flights and other transportation, accommodation, feeding, medical services, reintegration payments, and procurement and payment records.
The statement noted that on September 7, 2026, the Minister announced that almost Fifty Million Ghana Cedis (GH¢50,000,000.00) had been expended on the evacuation and reintegration of 1,964 Ghanaians.
The exercise, the Minister had earlier indicated, was funded by the Government of Ghana and Ghanaian partners. However, the Minority says the Ministry is yet to furnish it with the itemised account and supporting documents requested.
“The expenditure of public funds carries with it a corresponding duty of accountability. Government must be prepared to account, not only for the total amount spent, but also for how that expenditure was incurred,” the statement said.
It added that it would be inappropriate to participate in a closed-door meeting on the same matter while its request for the underlying records remains outstanding.
“We therefore reiterate our call on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make full disclosure of the expenditure relating to the evacuation exercise,” the statement said, stressing that the Minority will remain resolute in demanding transparency and accountability in the use of taxpayers’ funds.
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