By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi & Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada
26 OCTOBER 2026
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has defended the government’s handling of the GH¢49.72 million expenditure on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa, insisting that every returnee received the financial support announced by the government.
Mr Ablakwa made the remarks while addressing members of the Ghanaian community in Ottawa, Canada, during an official visit on Monday, October 26, 2026.
His comments come amid growing controversy over the evacuation exercise, with Ghanaians reportedly demonstrating in Ottawa and demanding receipts and a detailed breakdown of the expenditure.
A video caption published by The State News on X said the protesters were calling for greater transparency over the cost of bringing Ghanaians home from South Africa following xenophobic attacks and threats against foreign nationals.
The demonstration adds pressure on the minister as the government faces questions from opposition lawmakers and sections of the public over the documentation supporting the expenditure.
Ablakwa rejects claims of underpayment
Addressing the Ghanaian community, Mr Ablakwa rejected claims that some evacuees received less than the GH¢5,500 support package announced by the government.
The package comprised GH¢5,000 intended to support the reintegration of returnees into Ghanaian society and an additional GH¢500 for transportation.
The minister maintained that all 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa, including children and infants, received the full amount.
According to reports by Ghanaian media outlets, Mr Ablakwa said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not received a formal complaint from any evacuee about missing money or an underpayment since the exercise began more than four months ago.
He questioned why allegations that some beneficiaries received only GH¢2,000 had emerged months after the payments were distributed.
The minister explained that the evacuees were informed about the allowances before leaving South Africa and were reminded of the amounts upon arrival in Ghana.
He said the money was distributed in envelopes at the airport, where beneficiaries were encouraged to open them and verify the contents. Journalists and bloggers were also present during the distribution, he added.
Although Mr Ablakwa acknowledged that he did not personally distribute the money, he defended the officials involved in the exercise, expressing confidence in the integrity of personnel from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the National Disaster Management Organisation and the national security team.
The minister’s position, however, remains contested by reports from some evacuees who claim they received less than the announced amount.
How the GH¢49.72 million was spent
The government has reported that GH¢49,721,786 was spent evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa between May 27 and September 4, 2026.
According to figures presented by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, GH¢33.72 million came from direct government funding, while Engineers and Planners, a company owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama, contributed GH¢16 million towards the exercise.
The reported expenditure covered chartered flights, commercial airline tickets, ground transportation, feeding, accommodation, medical care and hospitalisation, as well as financial assistance for returning citizens.
The ministry’s breakdown allocated approximately GH¢38.84 million to flights, transportation, accommodation, feeding and related services.
Another GH¢10.80 million was reportedly spent on reintegration and transportation allowances, while GH¢84,274 covered the repatriation of two bodies and autopsy-related costs.
The government has maintained that the evacuation was necessary to protect Ghanaian citizens whose safety had been threatened by renewed anti-foreigner tensions in South Africa.
However, critics argue that the humanitarian importance of the exercise does not remove the need for clear and verifiable financial records.
Minority demands an independent audit
The controversy intensified after the Minority Caucus in Parliament questioned the documentation provided by the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
In a statement presented in October, the Minority alleged that its review of records obtained from the ministry raised questions about payment registers, commercial flight records, duplicate entries and allowances reportedly paid to minors.
The caucus argued that more than GH¢16.4 million in expenditure required further explanation and called for an independent audit.
The allegations do not establish that the money was stolen or misappropriated. Rather, the disagreement centres on whether the available records sufficiently reconcile the total expenditure, the number of evacuees and the payments said to have been made.
The ministry has rejected the Minority’s conclusions, maintaining that it supplied supporting documents, including passenger manifests, airline tickets, boarding passes, receipts and signed acknowledgement records.
Mr Ablakwa has also requested an independent audit of government evacuation exercises dating back to 2017.
The outcome of such an audit could help establish whether the disputed figures can be reconciled and whether the expenditure was properly documented.
Questions surrounding the Ottawa demonstration
The reported demonstration in Ottawa has brought the controversy to the attention of members of the Ghanaian community in Canada.
The protesters’ reported demand for receipts and a detailed breakdown reflects concerns about transparency in the use of public funds, particularly when substantial expenditure is involved.
Mr Ablakwa’s address to the Ghanaian community provides an opportunity for the minister to explain the government’s position directly to Ghanaians living abroad.
However, available reports confirming his remarks do not establish whether he directly addressed the demonstrators themselves or met with their organisers.
It also remains important to distinguish between the minister’s assertion that all beneficiaries received their allowances and the separate question of whether the full evacuation expenditure can be independently verified.
Evidence that beneficiaries received their payments would address one part of the controversy, while a comprehensive audit would examine the wider expenditure, including flight arrangements, accommodation, transport and other services.
Accountability remains central to the debate
The evacuation was organised after renewed xenophobic attacks and anti-immigrant tensions in South Africa raised concerns about the safety of Ghanaian nationals.
The government has defended its decision to bring affected citizens home, arguing that protecting Ghanaians abroad is a responsibility it cannot ignore.
Nevertheless, the debate over the GH¢49.72 million expenditure has highlighted the importance of balancing emergency humanitarian action with transparent financial management.
For the public, the central questions remain whether all payments and service costs can be reconciled with the reported expenditure, whether the allegations of underpayment can be independently examined, and what conclusions an audit will reach.
As pressure mounts, the publication of verifiable records and an independent assessment could help resolve the competing claims.
For now, Mr Ablakwa maintains that all evacuees received their full support package, while the Minority continues to demand an independent audit of the evacuation expenditure.
The controversy is likely to remain a subject of public scrutiny until the outstanding questions are addressed with independently verifiable evidence.
