{
  "id": 13847883,
  "title": "SA Evacuation: Minority Accuses Okudzeto’s Ministry Of Failing To Account For Gh¢16.42m",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/sa-evacuation-minority-accuses-okudzetos-ministry-of-failing-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-12T02:05:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Chronicle Ghana",
    "slug": "the-chronicle-ghana",
    "url": "https://thechronicle.com.gh/sa-evacuation-minority-accuses-okudzetos-ministry-of-failing-to-account-for-gh%c2%a216-42m/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Minority in Ghana's Parliament has demanded an independent audit into the government's evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa, alleging financial irregularities in the handling of over GHS16 million. This call follows the Minority's analysis of records provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in response to a Right to Information request. The evacuation, which involved 1,964 Ghanaians, reportedly cost GHS49,721,786, with GHS33.7 million allocated for government spending and GHS16 million provided by Engineers & Planners for air travel and reintegration assistance.\n\nHowever, the Minority found significant discrepancies in the records, questioning the Ministry's accounting methods and accuracy. Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, presented findings showing that only 824 individuals could be confirmed as receiving the full GHS5,000 reintegration grant and GHS500 transport allowance, leaving 1,140 evacuees with unaccounted payments worth approximately GHS6.27 million. The group also raised concerns about the documentation of flight costs, indicating that 791 evacuees were not adequately accounted for, amounting to an estimated GHS7.18 million in flight-related expenses.\n\nThe Minority further expressed concerns about the quality of documentation, highlighting discrepancies in signatures for reintegration grants and transport allowances, as well as duplicates in names across records. They specifically questioned the treatment of children evacuated, noting an estimated GHS2.431 million associated with child payments and the lack of transparency in how these funds were administered. Taken together, the Minority calculates that GHS16.42 million, nearly one-third of the total evacuation expenditure, remains unaccounted for, prompting them to demand a full independent audit by a reputable accounting firm. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has invited the Auditor-General to conduct the audit, but the Minority remains unsatisfied with the current state of transparency and accountability.",
  "summary": "The Minority in Parliament has called for an independent audit into the government’s evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa, alleging that records provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa failed to adequately account for more than GHS16 million spent on the exercise. The demand follows an analysis by the Minority of […] The post SA Evacuation: Minority Accuses…",
  "key_points": [
    "Minority in Ghana Parliament demands independent audit on evacuation finances",
    "GHS16 million unaccounted for, representing nearly one-third of total costs",
    "824 individuals confirmed to receive full reintegration grant and transport allowance"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The demand for an independent audit highlights significant transparency gaps in how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs managed millions in public and private funds during the South African evacuation.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}