The Minority Caucus in Parliament has mounted pressure on the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, demanding his immediate resignation over allegations surrounding the disbursement of financial packages for Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa.
Addressing journalists at a media briefing in Parliament on Tuesday, October 27, the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, insisted that the Minister must step aside to allow for a full inquiry into reports that some evacuees received significantly less than the state-backed GH¢5,500 assistance package.
Alongside the call for his exit, the Minority has requested a comprehensive independent audit of the entire evacuation project, specifying that an internationally reputable accounting firm should be tasked to establish the exact details of the alleged payment discrepancies.
“Given the gravity of these revelations and in order to ensure an impartial investigation into the matter, we call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Honourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to resign immediately. His handling of this exercise has brought his high office into disrepute,” he said.
Pressing the legal and ethical grounds for their stance, Mr Jinapor argued that the Minister is bound to step down under Section 2.1(j) of President John Dramani Mahama’s 2025 Code of Conduct and Ethics for Political Appointees. According to the Minority, the provision mandates resignation whenever the decisions or oversight of a Minister lead to substantial failure, corruption, or a compromise of public trust.
Should Mr Ablakwa decline to step down voluntarily, the caucus has urged the President to exercise his constitutional prerogative under Article 81(a) of the 1992 Constitution to dismiss him.
“The President must demonstrate that the standards he has set for his appointees have consequences when public confidence in their stewardship has been seriously undermined,” he added.
The Parliamentary opposition’s offensive stems from accounts given by at least three individuals named on the government’s official evacuation roster, who alleged they were handed GH¢2,000 rather than the full GH¢5,500 promised by officialdom.
However, the Foreign Affairs Minister has firmly rejected the claims, maintaining that every single individual listed for the operation, including minors, was disbursed the complete allocation of GH¢5,000 intended for reintegration support together with GH¢500 for local transportation.
Reiterating his position while addressing members of the Ghanaian community in Ottawa, Canada, during an official working visit, Mr Ablakwa noted that his outfit had not recorded any formal grievances regarding underpayment throughout the four months since the evacuation was initiated. He further stated that no evacuee reported missing cash envelopes or shortfalls at the airport during the arrival procedures.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana