The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has issued a seven-day deadline to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, demanding the immediate release of all official records regarding expenditure incurred during the recent evacuation of Ghanaian nationals from South Africa.
Addressing journalists at a media briefing on Sunday, October 18, the Communications Director of the NPP, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, made it clear that the party expects full disclosure on how state resources were managed during the exercise. He cautioned that failure to meet the deadline would trigger further political and legal measures.
The party wants the Ministry to produce the full contract documentation and invoices for charter flights, payment vouchers, signed receipt sheets, and a verified register of all 1,964 evacuees alongside individual receipts of payment.
“Produce the complete set of documents within 7 days. Lay before the RTI requisition and Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee every charter invoice and contract, every payment voucher, every signed sheet, and the full list of 1,964 evacuees with proof of payment against each name,” he stated.
Furthermore, the NPP is requesting comprehensive details regarding the public procurement procedures applied in selecting the charter flight operator. Questions were also raised surrounding the sum of GH¢16 million linked to the operations, with the party asking for clarification on whether the funds were disbursed in cash or utilized for specific direct procurements.
Attention was also drawn to conflicting data involving ASKY Airlines, alongside discrepancies found in different versions of an official document marked as CC/7. The party called on the Minister to publicly confirm which specific document was submitted to the Auditor-General.
Although acknowledging the Auditor-General’s ongoing review of the expenditure, Mr Aboagye maintained that internal state audits alone are insufficient to guarantee full transparency. To ensure total accountability, the party wants an internationally recognised audit firm to conduct an independent investigation, with both the terms of reference and the final report published for the public.
Should the seven-day period elapse without compliance, the NPP declared its intention to partner with the Minority caucus in Parliament to push for urgent ministerial questioning. Additionally, the party plans to submit a formal petition instructing the Auditor-General to prioritize the evacuation exercise in a special audit, while simultaneously seeking recourse under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The NPP pointed out that Mr Ablakwa had consistently championed strict public financial accountability whilst in opposition, insisting that the Minister must now adhere to the very standards he once demanded of others.
“The 1,964 Ghanaians who fled South Africa suffered enough. They should not now become a headline figure behind which public money cannot be traced,” the party remarked.
The NPP emphasized that laying these financial records open to the public remains the only way to establish how taxpayers’ money was utilized and to rebuild public trust regarding the entire evacuation process.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana