Minority Boycotts Foreign Affairs Committee Meeting Over South Africa Evacuation Expenditure
The Minority Caucus on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee says it will not participate in a closed-door meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, 2026, on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa unless the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides an itemised account of expenditure on the exercise.
In a statement dated September 15, the caucus said it had received notice of the meeting, at which Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is expected to brief the Committee on the evacuation.
The Minority said it had supported the government’s decision to evacuate Ghanaian citizens whose safety and welfare were threatened by xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
It said, however, that support for the evacuation did not remove the government’s obligation to account fully and transparently for the use of public funds.
According to the caucus, it submitted a formal request under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), on August 17, 2026, seeking comprehensive information and supporting records on the cost and financing of the evacuation.
The request, referenced MP/BF/RTI/2026/007, was received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 25, 2026.
The information sought included detailed expenditure on the exercise, sources of funding, the identities and contributions of private-sector partners, and spending on flights and other transportation.
The Minority also requested records relating to accommodation, feeding, medical services, reintegration payments, procurement and payments connected to the evacuation.
The caucus said that on September 7, the Foreign Affairs Minister announced that almost GH¢50 million had been spent on the evacuation and reintegration of 1,964 Ghanaians.
It said the Ministry had, however, not yet provided the itemised account and supporting documentation requested under the RTI Act.
According to the Minority, the records are necessary to enable Parliament and the public to determine how the funds were spent.
The caucus said it did not consider it appropriate to participate in a closed-door meeting on the evacuation while its formal request for the underlying expenditure records remained outstanding.
It therefore said it would not attend the meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, unless the Ministry provided the requested itemised account and supporting records.
The Minority reiterated its call for full disclosure of expenditure relating to the evacuation and reintegration exercise.
It said it would continue to demand transparency and accountability in the use of public funds, describing this as part of Parliament’s responsibility to the Ghanaian people.
The statement was signed by Samuel A. Jinapor, MP for Damongo and Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.
-Overseeronline.com
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