The Minority Caucus in Parliament has called for an independent, full and transparent audit into the GH¢49.72 million spent on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa during xenophobic attacks.
The demand follows a detailed examination of payment registers, flight manifests and supporting documents provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989).
Addressing the media, Hon. Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, Member of Parliament for Bosome-Freho and Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that a name-by-name review and independent third-party scrutiny revealed significant discrepancies that prevent the figures from being fully reconciled.
According to the Minority, while the Foreign Affairs Minister reported that each evacuee received a GH¢5,000 reintegration grant and a GH¢500 transport allowance, a matching of signed registers showed only 824 names appearing on both lists.
This leaves GH¢6.27 million concerning 1,140 evacuees unaccounted for in the supplied documents. The Caucus is therefore pressing for a comprehensive breakdown, including timestamps and documentary proof for every transaction.
Further questions have been raised regarding the passenger numbers.
While 926 individuals were reportedly transported via chartered flights and 247 through commercial documentation, the combined total of 1,173 leaves a gap of 791 compared to the official 1,964 evacuees.
Based on average flight and layover costs derived from Ministry figures, the Caucus estimates that roughly GH¢7.18 million in flight-related expenditures demands clarification, prompting calls for complete passenger manifests, tickets and invoices.
The review also uncovered repeated names across various registers and identified 442 minors listed on the GH¢5,000 reintegration register.
The Minority has requested clarity on whether these entries were counted multiple times and how payments involving minors were processed, whether directly or through guardians.
In total, the Caucus estimates that GH¢16.42 million—constituting roughly 33 per cent of the total GH¢49.72 million expenditure—requires explanation.
The Minority emphasised that these figures represent analytical discrepancies rather than definitive proof of misappropriation, stressing that the Ministry deserves an opportunity to reconcile the gaps.
To resolve the matter, the Caucus has proposed an independent audit conducted by a reputable accounting firm such as Deloitte Ghana, KPMG Ghana, PwC Ghana or EY Ghana, with the terms of reference and findings made public for parliamentary and citizen scrutiny.
While acknowledging the Ministry’s invitation to the Auditor-General, the Minority maintains that the scale of the inconsistencies necessitates a thorough, transparent reconciliation.
“The evacuation was an important humanitarian exercise intended to protect Ghanaians fleeing xenophobic violence,” the Caucus noted, adding that the public equally deserves accountability for every cedi spent.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
