The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on President John Dramani Mahama to dismiss Foreign Affairs Minister, Honourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa over allegations concerning expenditure on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa and the issuance of diplomatic and service passports.
The NPP National Youth Organiser, Abanga Fuseini Yakubu, announced the demand at a press conference, where he also called for investigations into the ministry’s expenditure and the prosecution of officials found culpable.
Mr Yakubu argues the evacuation costs and the documentation supporting the expenditure require independent scrutiny, insisting that public funds must be accounted for. He cited concerns raised by the Minority in Parliament over GH¢16.4 million of the GH¢49,721,786 reported expenditure, alongside alleged gaps in passenger records and supporting documents.
“We demand that Mr. Ablakwa publish all original airline invoices, the charter contract, the proof of payment, and the name of every document or intermediary involved: not summaries, not press releases, the original documents that we are demanding for.”
Abanga Fuseini Yakubu
The NPP National Youth Organiser also questioned the reported cost of chartering aircraft for the evacuation, claiming that comparable arrangements “should have cost substantially less.”
Focusing on the reported evacuation figures, Mr Yakubu disputed the claim that 1,964 Ghanaians have been evacuated, arguing that the documents presented to the Minority left gaps in the passenger records. He therefore called for the publication of full passenger manifests and beneficiary lists to establish how many people travelled on each flight.
In addition, the NPP called for the Attorney-General and the Office of the Special Prosecutor to “investigate the allegations and prosecute any officials found to have committed offences.” The party also demanded an independent audit of the evacuation expenditure, with the findings made public.
Turning to diplomatic and service passports, Mr Yakubu called for the publication of all such passports issued since January 2025, including the qualifications of each holder and the authority responsible for approving each issuance. He further proposed the cancellation of passports found to “have been issued improperly and legal action against anyone established to have profited from wrongdoing.”
The Youth Organiser framed the demands around ministerial accountability, declaring that “no public officeholder should be shielded from scrutiny.” He called on President Mahama to act on the allegations and urged the relevant investigative authorities to establish the facts, recover any public funds found to have been lost and pursue appropriate legal action.
NPP Demands Sports Minister’s Resignation Over Visa Scandals
Amid allegations of irregularities linked to Ghana’s sports-related visa arrangements, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) called for the resignation of the Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Kofi Iddi Adams.
The NPP National Youth Organiser, Abanga Fuseini Yakubu emphasised that the circumstances surrounding the visa facilitation issues require accountability at the ministry.
“The visa scandals, the facilitation that led to the resignation of Mr. Yaw Ampofo, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Sports Authority, confirms that there were indeed scandals, and we require the minister to also resign.”
Abanga Fuseini Yakubu
The NPP National Youth Organiser placed the Sports Ministry under scrutiny while outlining the party’s demands for accountability across government.
Beyond the resignation demand, Mr Yakubu urged party supporters to join the planned “Yɛgye Yɛ Sika Demoo” demonstration, calling for participation that is peaceful and lawful. He encouraged organisers across regional, constituency and polling station structures to mobilise members and communicate the party’s demands to the public.
The demonstration is scheduled to take place on 3 November 2026. It will commence at Villaggio, opposite Accra Mall, proceed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and conclude at Jubilee House.
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), led by Chief Executive Officer Maame Efua Houadjeto, has denied collecting money in exchange for visas for Ghanaians seeking to travel to activities surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup, explaining that its role involved identifying participants and providing application guidance.
The controversy followed allegations concerning the submission of names to foreign embassies, including claims that some individuals were misrepresented as media practitioners or personnel of state institutions.
Meanwhile, the National Sports Authority (NSA) has denied authorising a visa facilitation scheme or permitting anyone to collect money from applicants. The Sports Ministry, through the Sports Minister’s special aide, Wonder Sitsofe Mandel, has affirmed that “it will not shield anyone found culpable” insisting that the law must take its course and that the Criminal Investigations Department is investigating the matter. The ministry has also denied wrongdoing and reiterated that forwarding visa requests did not guarantee approval or establish applicants’ eligibility.
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