Ghanaians in Canada Demonstrate Against Ablakwa, Demand Receipts for GH¢49.7m South Africa Evacuation
Protesters in Ottawa are demanding a detailed breakdown and supporting receipts for the expenditure incurred in bringing 1,964 Ghanaians home from South Africa amid continuing questions over the use of public funds.
By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi & Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada
26 OCTOBER 2026
Ghanaians living in Canada have reportedly staged a demonstration in Ottawa against Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, demanding receipts and a detailed breakdown of the cost of evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa.
According to a video caption published by GhanaianNewsCanadaTv on YouTube, the protesters are calling for greater transparency over the expenditure incurred during the evacuation exercise, which was organized following xenophobic attacks and threats against foreign nationals in South Africa.
The demonstration adds an international dimension to an ongoing debate in Ghana over whether the government has provided sufficient documentary evidence to account for the money spent on bringing the affected citizens home.
Dispute over GH¢49.72 million evacuation expenditure
The government has reported a total cost of GH¢49.72 million for the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa between May 27 and September 4, 2026.
According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, GH¢33.72 million came from direct government funding, while GH¢16 million was contributed by Engineers and Planners, a company owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama.
The expenditure reportedly covered chartered flights, commercial airline tickets, ground transportation, feeding, accommodation, medical care and hospitalisation, as well as allowances provided to returnees.
The government has also stated that each evacuee received GH¢5,000 as a reintegration allowance and GH¢500 for transportation.
The Ministry’s figures have become the focus of political scrutiny, with critics insisting that the overall expenditure must be supported by records that allow the public to verify the amounts spent and the services paid for.
Minority raises questions over supporting documents
The New Patriotic Party Minority Caucus in Parliament has called for an independent audit of the evacuation expenditure, arguing that its review of documents received from the Ministry raised questions about passenger records, allowance registers and the supporting evidence for some costs.
In an October 11 statement reported by the Ghana News Agency, the Minority alleged discrepancies involving the number of evacuees reflected in payment records and the documentation for commercial flights.
The caucus estimated that more than GH¢16 million required further reconciliation and called for an independent examination of the expenditure.
These figures represent the Minority’s assessment and allegations; they are not a final audit finding establishing that public funds were misappropriated.
The protesters’ reported demand for receipts and a detailed breakdown reflects the broader public debate over how the evacuation expenditure should be documented and independently verified.
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Ablakwa rejects claims that funds are unaccounted for
Mr Ablakwa has rejected the allegation that more than GH¢16 million remains unaccounted for.
In his defence of the evacuation exercise, the Foreign Affairs Minister said the Ministry had provided supporting records, including passenger manifests, airline tickets, boarding passes, receipts and signed acknowledgement sheets for allowance payments.
He has maintained that the records account for the 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated and the allowances paid to them.
The Minister has also said he invited the Auditor-General to conduct a comprehensive audit of evacuation exercises undertaken since 2017. Such an audit could help establish whether the expenditure was properly documented and whether the disputed figures can be reconciled.
The disagreement therefore centres not only on the total amount announced by the government, but also on whether the supporting documents sufficiently answer the questions raised by the Minority.
Accountability and the protection of citizens
The evacuation was undertaken after Ghanaian nationals faced safety concerns amid xenophobic attacks and anti-immigrant tensions in South Africa.
The government has defended the operation as a necessary intervention to protect citizens facing intimidation and insecurity abroad.
However, the humanitarian purpose of the exercise has not removed questions about financial accountability. Public expenditure remains subject to scrutiny, particularly when substantial sums are involved and different parties dispute whether the documentation is sufficient.
For Ghanaians at home and abroad, the key questions include whether the passenger figures can be reconciled with flight records, whether the allowances were properly documented, and whether the costs charged for flights and other services can be independently verified.
The reported demonstration in Ottawa signals that the debate has also reached members of the Ghanaian community in Canada.
As the controversy continues, the publication of detailed records and the outcome of an independent audit could help clarify the outstanding questions and strengthen public confidence in the government’s account of the evacuation.
GhanaianNewsCanada will continue to follow developments concerning the protest, the Ministry’s response and any findings from an independent audit.
