The Minority Caucus on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has declined to participate in a closed-door meeting on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa until the government provides full records on the expenditure.
In a press release issued on September 15, the caucus explained that the Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is expected to brief the committee on the evacuation at a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 16.
The statement, signed by Honourable Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, Member of Parliament for Damongo and Deputy Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, outlined the basis for the Minority’s decision. Honourable Jinapor noted that the caucus has been formally notified about the meeting but is yet to receive the financial records it requested concerning the evacuation exercise.
The Minority therefore argued that participating in a closed-door discussion of the evacuation without first obtaining the underlying expenditure records would not allow it to properly scrutinise the use of public funds. The caucus stressed that its position did not amount to opposition to the evacuation itself. Instead, it emphasised that parliamentary oversight over expenditure must accompany government action, particularly where substantial public funds have been used.
“In these circumstances, the Minority does not consider it appropriate to participate in a closed-door meeting intended to discuss the same subject matter while its formal request for the underlying expenditure records remains outstanding.”
Honourable Samuel Abdulai Jinapor
Furthermore, Honourable Jinapor indicated that the Minority supported the decision to bring affected Ghanaian nationals home after their safety and welfare were threatened by xenophobic attacks in South Africa. He explained that protecting Ghanaian citizens abroad remained an important responsibility of the state. The caucus, however, considers financial accountability to be a separate obligation that must also be discharged.
The Minority has consequently tied its participation in the committee engagement to the release of the requested records. It wants the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide the documentation before the briefing takes place.
The position follows the government’s disclosure that almost GH¢50 million was spent on the evacuation and reintegration of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa. The disclosure has since prompted demands from the caucus for greater clarity over the use of the funds.
Honourable Jinapor stressed that the Minority would continue to perform its parliamentary oversight responsibilities in relation to the expenditure. The Damongo MP indicated that accountability to Parliament ultimately serves the Ghanaian public whose resources have been committed to the exercise.
The caucus has therefore called on the Ministry to make the relevant records available to enable the committee to proceed with its consideration of the evacuation. Its participation in the scheduled meeting remains conditional on the disclosure of the requested documentation.
Minority Demands Itemised Breakdown Of GH¢50m Evacuation Cost
The Minority in Parliament is demanding an itemised account of the nearly GH¢50 million spent on the evacuation and reintegration of Ghanaian nationals from South Africa.
Honourable Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, Member of Parliament for Damongo and Deputy Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, has outlined the records the caucus wants the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to release.
In the press release, the Minority disclosed that it submitted a formal request under the Right to Information Act, 2019, Act 989, on August 17, 2026. The request, referenced MP/BF/RTI/2026/007, was received by the Ministry on August 25.
The caucus requested comprehensive information on the cost and financing of the evacuation exercise. This included details of expenditure incurred, the sources of funding and the identities and contributions of private partners involved in the operation.
Additionally, Honourable Jinapor said the Minority requested records covering flights and other transportation arrangements. The documents sought also include expenditure on accommodation, feeding, medical services and reintegration payments.
The caucus is also seeking the relevant procurement and payment records associated with the exercise. It argues that these documents are necessary to establish how the total expenditure was incurred and the basis for each payment.
“Government must be prepared to account, not only for the total amount spent, but also for how that expenditure was incurred and the basis upon which public funds were applied.”
Honourable Samuel Abdulai Jinapor
The Minority has also pointed to the involvement of private partners as an area requiring clarification. The caucus wants the identities of those partners and details of their respective contributions to the evacuation.
Furthermore, the RTI request seeks information that would enable Parliament to trace the financing arrangements behind the exercise. The Minority believes that such disclosure is necessary for proper parliamentary scrutiny of public expenditure.
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