The Member of Parliament representing Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has urged a more detailed examination of the government’s spending on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa, expressing doubts about the figures related to the operation.
He said the Minority in Parliament does not oppose the evacuation itself but seeks clarification on how the reported GH¢49 million allocated for the evacuation was spent, especially regarding the number of individuals evacuated.
In an interview conducted on Monday, September 7, 2026, he emphasized that the Minority is not accusing the government of any corrupt practices; rather, they wish to thoroughly analyze the figures to determine if the expenditure was justified in terms of value for money.
“At first glance, we cannot assert that corruption has occurred, but we simply want to scrutinize the numbers to ascertain the precise amount spent on each individual,” he remarked.
“As a Minority, we believe it is essential to examine the figures to ascertain whether there has been value for money,” he further stated.
Mr. Assafuah recalled that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, had mentioned that over 1,900 Ghanaians were evacuated from South Africa.
He noted that the government also revealed that each evacuee received GH¢5,000, along with an additional GH¢500 for transportation.
“When you divide the 1,900 by the 49 million, it becomes evident that approximately GH¢26,000 or GH¢27,000 is spent on each individual,” he explained.
“I would like to clarify that the Minority does not oppose the evacuation. However, there exists a degree of ambiguity regarding its significance, which must be emphasized to the Ghanaian populace for their comprehension,” he remarked.
He asserted that the Minority’s primary objective is to achieve transparency concerning the expenditures and to ensure that the public is informed about the utilization of the funds.
“We need to scrutinize the figures, and that is our main interest,” Mr. Assafuah stated.
Assafuah’s remarks come in light of the government’s announcement that a total of GH¢49.72 million was allocated to successfully evacuate 1,964 Ghanaian nationals from South Africa in response to a series of xenophobic attacks.
During a press briefing on Monday, September 7, 2026, Okudzeto Ablakwa presented a comprehensive financial breakdown of the rescue operation, revealing that the government contributed GH¢33.7 million, while the private partner, Engineers & Planners, contributed GH¢16 million.
The breakdown of the total expenditure of GH¢49.72 million is as follows:
1. GH¢38.84 million was allocated for chartered flights, tickets, ground transportation, meals, accommodation, and medical assistance.
2. GH¢10.80 million was designated for reintegration and transportation allowances for evacuees, with each returnee receiving GH¢5,500.
3. GH¢84,274 was spent on the repatriation of two deceased individuals.
