NPP gives Ablakwa 7 days to produce GH¢49.72m SA evacuation invoices
The cost of evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa has become the biggest political flashpoint this week, with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) challenging Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to produce original invoices for the operation.
At the centre of the controversy is the GH¢49.72 million evacuation exercise carried out between May 27 and September 4, 2026, following renewed xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa.
The Allegation: $750K Per Flight
The NPP alleges that three chartered flights used during the exercise were recorded at $750,000 each, against an estimated market cost of between $180,000 and $300,000 per flight.
According to the party, the three flights alone cost a combined $2.25 million, and if comparable charter services were secured within the market range, the difference could amount to approximately $1.3 million.
The party, through its Director of Communications Dennis Miracles Aboagye, is demanding a probe and publication of the original Ethiopian Airlines invoices to establish actual amounts charged. On October 11, the Minority in Parliament called for an independent audit, claiming over GH¢16.4 million required further explanation after reviewing documents from the Ministry.
Ablakwa’s Defence: No Pesewa Missing
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has strongly rejected suggestions that money is missing or that costs were inflated.
“I can state unequivocally, without any scintilla of doubt, that not a cedi, not a pesewa is missing,” the Minister said on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 17.
Ablakwa’s breakdown:
- Total cost: GH¢49,721,786 – comprising GH¢33,721,786 from Government and GH¢16 million donated by Engineers and Planners owned by Ibrahim Mahama
- Flight & logistics: GH¢38,835,512 for chartered flights, commercial tickets, ground transport, feeding, hotel accommodation, medical care and hospitalization
- Allowances: GH¢10,802,000 – GH¢5,000 reintegration + GH¢500 transport per evacuee (1,964 x GH¢5,500)
- Other: GH¢84,274 for repatriation of two mortal remains and autopsy
The Minister said 956 evacuees were airlifted on chartered flights and 1,008 on commercial flights. He presented 177 pages of sign-off sheets containing names, passport numbers and ink signatures of all 1,964 beneficiaries, plus passenger manifests, boarding passes and receipts.
He maintains every evacuee, including children, received the allowance openly at Kotoka International Airport and has challenged the Minority to produce any evacuee who was denied payment.
To ensure transparency, Ablakwa says he wrote to the Auditor-General on September 17, 2026, requesting a special audit of all evacuation exercises since 2017, and that the Ministry voluntarily accounted for the exercise on September 7, three days after completion.
The Minority Ranking Member Samuel Abu Jinapor has clarified that the caucus has not accused Ablakwa of wrongdoing, but is seeking an audit to clarify anomalies found in the report.
The 7-day ultimatum for original invoices is now counting.
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