Minority stays away from Ablakwa briefing on South Africa evacuation, demands itemised costs

Pinned summary · as of 16:54

Minority MPs on Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee did not take part in a closed-door briefing by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Wednesday, 16 September. The session was meant to cover the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa after xenophobic attacks, and the caucus says it will stay out until the spending is itemised.

What we know

• The Minority Caucus on the Foreign Affairs Committee announced that it would skip the minister's closed-door briefing, which had been fixed for Wednesday, 16 September 2026, on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.
• In a statement dated Tuesday, 15 September and signed by the committee's Ranking Member, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, the Minority said it would join only once the government fully discloses how the money was spent.
• The caucus said it backed the decision to bring home citizens caught up in the attacks, but argued that this backing does not remove the government's duty to account for public funds in full.
• According to the Minority, Mr Ablakwa announced on 7 September that almost GH₵50,000,000 had gone on evacuating and reintegrating 1,964 Ghanaians, and had earlier said the exercise was paid for by the Government of Ghana and Ghanaian partners.
• The Minority said it filed a request under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) on 17 August for the costs and financing of the exercise, and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received it on 25 August.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  The Minority charged that the Ministry has still not handed over the itemised account and supporting documents it asked for, including flight, accommodation, feeding, medical and reintegration costs and the contributions of private partners. No response from the Ministry appears in these reports, and the claim has not been independently verified.

Why it matters for Ghana

The row puts a large public expense, close to GH₵50 million, under scrutiny in Parliament, and it shows how the Right to Information Act is being tested by MPs themselves. For the families of the 1,964 Ghanaians brought home, the evacuation was a rescue, while taxpayers are left asking how the bill was made up and which private partners helped pay it. Until the Foreign Affairs Committee can meet with both sides present, its oversight of the exercise is limited.