Evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa funded from emergency budget – Ablakwa

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has revealed that the ongoing evacuation of Ghanaians fleeing xenophobic attacks in South Africa is being financed from the government’s contingency budget set aside for emergencies.

The Minister, who spoke on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, explained that he formally requested approval from President John Dramani Mahama to use the emergency funds, which was granted after collaboration with Parliament.

“There will be full accountability; nobody is going to run away. Let us conclude the exercise. For those who are also wondering where the resources are coming from, in every year’s budget there is always a contingency allocation for emergencies. So that is what the Finance Minister, on the instruction of the President, released and utilised for this exercise,” he said.

Ablakwa sought to calm public concerns by assuring Ghanaians of transparency in the use of the funds.

“There will be full accountability. There will be nothing to hide at all when it comes to the financial component of this whole arrangement,” he assured.

He emphasised that every expenditure will be properly accounted for once the evacuation exercise is completed.

The minister’s disclosure comes as more Ghanaians continue to return home from South Africa amid rising tensions and attacks on foreign nationals. Many citizens have welcomed the government’s swift response while calling for prudent use of public resources.

NA/BAI

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