The National Democratic Congress government’s ongoing evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa has come under renewed parliamentary scrutiny, with the Member of Parliament for Bosome Freho and Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, formally seeking detailed information on how much public money has been spent on the exercise.
The MP has filed a Right to Information (RTI) request with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, demanding a comprehensive breakdown of expenditure associated with the evacuation and subsequent reintegration of Ghanaian nationals affected by the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
His request follows an August 13, 2026 statement by the Ministry which disclosed that the evacuation programme was being fully funded by the Government of Ghana and what it described as “Ghanaian partners.”
According to the Ministry’s earlier communication, more than 1,600 Ghanaians had been evacuated from South Africa since May 2026, with the exercise still ongoing at the time of the MP’s request.
However, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh says the statement did not provide critical financial details, including the total amount spent, the precise sources of funding or the identities of the private individuals and organisations referred to as “Ghanaian partners.”
The legislator is therefore asking the Foreign Affairs Ministry to disclose the total expenditure incurred from May 2026 to the date of his request, with the figures provided in both Ghana cedis and United States dollars.
He is also demanding a detailed breakdown showing how the money has been spent and wants the Ministry to provide supporting financial records, including invoices, payment vouchers, receipts, contracts, purchase orders and agreements relating to chartered flights.
A major component of the RTI request concerns the sources of funding for the evacuation programme.
The Bosome Freho MP wants the Ministry to disclose whether any money has been drawn from the Consolidated Fund, the Contingency Fund, the Ministry’s 2026 budget allocation, supplementary appropriations or resources held by the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria.
He is also seeking clarification on the identity and role of the “Ghanaian partners” mentioned by the Ministry.
The MP wants the names of all individuals, companies and institutions that contributed to the exercise, together with the amount or nature of their respective contributions and copies of any agreements or arrangements governing their involvement.
The request extends to the logistics of the evacuation itself. Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh is demanding a complete schedule of evacuation flights, including the dates of each flight, the airlines or other service providers engaged, the number of Ghanaians transported on each trip, the cost of each flight and the procurement method used to secure the services.
Beyond the cost of transporting the affected nationals back to Ghana, the MP is seeking details of the reintegration support provided to returnees. He wants the Ministry to disclose the transport fares and other financial assistance paid to evacuees, including the approved amount per person, the actual amount paid, the criteria used to determine eligibility and the total number of people who have benefited from such support.
Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh has further requested information on relief items provided to the returnees.
The Ministry is expected, under the request, to disclose the types and quantities of items distributed, their unit costs and the overall amount spent on the relief package.
