Ghana’s Minority caucus has called for an independent audit of the government’s South Africa evacuation exercise after reviewing records supplied under a Right to Information request. It alleges that more than GH¢16.4 million remains insufficiently explained, while stressing that the documents do not prove funds were stolen or that beneficiary numbers were deliberately inflated.
The spending under review
The evacuation followed renewed xenophobic violence and intimidation against foreign nationals in South Africa. The Ministry said the operation began on May 27 and ended on September 4, 2026, when the final group of 41 returnees arrived in Ghana. On September 7, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced total expenditure of GH¢49,721,786. That comprised GH¢33,721,786 in direct government funding and GH¢16 million in support attributed to Engineers & Planners, a company owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama. The spending covered chartered flights, commercial tickets, ground transport, feeding, accommodation, medical care, reintegration support and other logistics.
What the Minority says the records show
Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said the documents contained discrepancies involving reintegration grants, transport allowances, commercial flight records, duplicate entries and payments involving minors. The Minority says it reviewed more than 200 pages name by name and subjected them to independent third-party scrutiny. Its central concern is that only 824 names could be matched across the registers for reintegration grants and transport allowances, compared with the 1,964 people the government said had been evacuated and given both payments. The alleged gap is 1,140 people, equivalent to GH¢6.27 million at the combined payment rate.
Why an audit would test the payment trail
The case illustrates how emergency procurement and relief spending can be checked after an operation has taken place. A total expenditure figure is not, by itself, a complete audit trail: reviewers need itemised expenditure records, payment registers, flight manifests, procurement details and supporting evidence linking each payment to an eligible recipient or service. The Minority wants the Ministry to explain whether unmatched names reflect incomplete records, missing signatures, separate payment arrangements or other circumstances. Matching two registers alone does not establish that money was misused, and the allegations remain unproven pending verification and a response from the Ministry.
The requested next step
The Minority argues that the humanitarian importance and emergency nature of the operation did not remove the obligation to account for public funds. It has therefore requested an independent audit of the spending and supporting records. The request follows the Ministry’s response to an RTI application and is framed around reconciliation rather than a proven finding of wrongdoing. The reported package included a GH¢5,000 reintegration grant and a GH¢500 transport allowance for each evacuee, making clear records especially important when the government’s reported total of 1,964 evacuees is compared with the registers reviewed by the Minority.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Reported total expenditure | GH¢49,721,786 |
| Direct government funding | GH¢33,721,786 |
| Support attributed to Engineers & Planners | GH¢16 million |
| Reported evacuees | 1,964 |
| Matched names across both payment registers | 824 |
| Unmatched difference cited by the Minority | 1,140 people |
| Combined grant and allowance | GH¢5,500 per evacuee |
The allegations do not establish that funds were stolen or beneficiary numbers deliberately inflated.
WHY IT MATTERS
Emergency procurement can involve rapid purchases and multiple suppliers, but public reporting still depends on a traceable chain from the approved activity to the supplier, payment and beneficiary. An independent audit could establish whether the apparent gaps are recordkeeping problems, alternative payment arrangements or unsupported expenditure.
Reported from myjoyonline.com, 2026-10-11. The Tender Wire is published by Otnox.
