Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa challenged the Minority in Parliament to name a single Ghanaian evacuated from South Africa who did not receive the GH¢5,500 reintegration allowance. He dismissed allegations of unaccounted funds and missing evacuees as attempts to manufacture a scandal.
The government evacuated Ghanaians from South Africa amid escalating anti-immigrant violence targeting foreign nationals. The operation ran for three days, ending on September 4, 2026. Ablakwa briefed the press on September 7 to provide an official account of the exercise.
“All of that propaganda out there that some people on the list cannot be found and that some voodoo analysis they have done showed that there’s some money that has not been accounted for,” Ablakwa said, referring to accusations levelled by the Minority. He called the claims baseless and urged for evidence.
He said he had actively sought a Ghanaian evacuee who could publicly state they had not received the allowances. “I have been looking for one Ghanaian to step forward and say that when we were evacuated from South Africa, the 5,500 Cedi reintegration allowance I didn’t get it as a Ghanaian. Or the 500 Cedi transportation allowance, I didn’t get it. Have you heard of any one Ghanaian? One,” he asked.
The reintegration allowance of GH¢5,500 was intended to support returning Ghanaians after the evacuation. An additional GH¢500 was allocated as transportation allowance. The Minority’s concerns include the whereabouts of some individuals on the evacuation list and whether all allocated funds have been properly accounted for.
Ablakwa questioned why the evacuation exercise had become a subject of controversy. “So what is this desperate attempt to create a scandal when there is none? When the whole world is commending that all of that propaganda…” he said, cutting off his statement mid-sentence.
The evacuation was a response to rising xenophobic attacks in South Africa, which targeted foreign nationals including Ghanaians. The government’s swift action aimed to bring citizens home safely and provide them with financial support to resettle.
The dispute centres on the government’s handling of public funds and the transparency of the evacuation operation. While Ablakwa insists that allowances were fully disbursed, the Minority party has raised questions about accountability and the validity of beneficiary lists.
Ablakwa’s remarks came amid growing political tension over the management of funds and the execution of the evacuation plan. The minister’s insistence that no Ghanaian failed to receive the allowance remains unchallenged by anyone stepping forward publicly.
The evacuation operation’s end date, September 4, 2026, and the subsequent press briefing three days later, form the timeline for the government’s public accounting. There has been no official release of detailed beneficiary lists or audit results to the public.
The controversy reveals ongoing disputes in Parliament over the use of public funds during emergencies. It also highlights the challenges governments face when addressing diaspora crises in volatile regions.
The Foreign Affairs Minister’s call for evidence and refusal to acknowledge any missing beneficiaries underline the government’s position. The Minority’s insistence on further transparency keeps the issue unresolved in public discourse.
According to Joy Online.
