GH¢49.72m S.A. evacuation: Nobody slept in a bus; it cannot be true – Benjamin Quashie

Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, has debunked allegations that some Ghanaians evacuated from the country slept in buses before boarding their flights, stating unequivocally that this claim is untrue. Quashie made these remarks during an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile, shedding light on the GH¢49.72 million spent on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa.

Addressing the controversy, Quashie emphasized that not a single evacuee slept in a bus, asserting that it was an impossible scenario. The mission, he explained, ensured that evacuees from remote provinces were accommodated in hotels before their flights. Quashie further elaborated that buses were used to transport evacuees to Pretoria, and these vehicles were covered by the mission's expenses.

Upon arrival in Pretoria, the evacuees were promptly taken to hotels for rest and refreshment, with arrangements made to minimize costs and ensure prompt departure from the airport.

Quashie highlighted that the provision of hotels before the flights was not a cost-incursing measure but rather a strategic decision to allow passengers sufficient time to rest and prepare for their journeys. He estimated that if a flight was scheduled for a particular day, evacuees were transported to Pretoria on the preceding day to ensure they had ample time to rest and refresh themselves.

The High Commissioner challenged anyone making claims of sleeping in buses to come forward with substantiating evidence, while acknowledging that long bus journeys from certain provinces could result in passengers sleeping during the trip.

The High Commissioner clarified that passengers traveling from provinces such as the Northern Cape and Cape Town, where the distance to Pretoria could be extensive, might have slept during their long bus rides. He reiterated that this scenario was consistent with the evacuation plan and did not constitute a breach of the mission's procedures.