The Minority Caucus on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament has announced its decision to boycott a scheduled closed-door briefing with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, over the evacuation of Ghanaian citizens from South Africa.
The meeting, slated for Wednesday, 16th September 2026, was intended for the Minister to brief the committee on the evacuation exercise triggered by recent xenophobic attacks.
However, in a press statement released on Tuesday, 15th September 2026, Ranking Member on the Committee, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, stated that the Minority will non-participate in the sitting pending full disclosure and itemisation of the GH¢50 million expended on the exercise.
According to the Minority, although it initially backed the government’s intervention to rescue stranded nationals, public funds must be fully accounted for.
“From the outset, the Minority supported Government’s decision to evacuate Ghanaian citizens whose safety and welfare had been threatened by the unfortunate xenophobic attacks in South Africa,” the statement noted. “That support, however, cannot dispense with the equally important obligation of Government to account fully and transparently for the expenditure of public funds.”
The caucus revealed that a formal request under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) was submitted on 17th August 2026, seeking a breakdown of costs—including flights, accommodation, feeding, medical care, and private sector contributions. Despite the Ministry receiving the request on 25th August 2026, no itemised account or supporting documents have been produced.
“On 7th September 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. To date, however, the Ministry has not furnished the Minority with the itemized account and supporting documentation requested,” the statement highlighted.
The caucus maintained that it will not attend the meeting “unless and until the Ministry provides the itemization account and supporting records requested,” insisting that accountability is owed to the Ghanaian public whose funds were used.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
