The move follows an RTI request filed by the Minority led by MP Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to a Right to Information (RTI) request from the Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, with a more than 200-page report detailing the government’s evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa amid xenophobic attacks.
Sources close the development indicate that the response was delivered electronically on Friday September 18, 2026, and contains details relating to more than 1,900 evacuees, including their contact and signature records.
The evacuation, which ran from May 27 to September 4, 2026, brought 1,964 Ghanaians back to the country at a total cost of GH¢49,721,786, according to figures released by Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa at a press conference on September 7, 2026.
Of the total expenditure, GH¢38,835,512 covered chartered flights, commercial air tickets, ground transportation, feeding, accommodation and medical care.
A further GH¢10,802,000 went towards reintegration and transportation allowances, while GH¢84,274 was spent on repatriating the remains of two nationals.
The government said it contributed GH¢33,721,786, while Engineers and Planners Limited contributed GH¢16 million towards supporting the exercise.
RTI request came before evacuation ended
The latest disclosure follows an RTI application filed by Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh while the evacuation exercise was still underway.
The Minority had requested detailed financial and operational records to enable Parliament and the public to verify the expenditure, including information on flights, procurement, payments, private-sector contributions and reintegration support.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry had indicated that a comprehensive account would be provided after the exercise was completed.
The operation concluded on September 4, 2026, with the arrival of the final 41 returnees. The Ministry subsequently announced that the exercise had brought nearly 2,000 Ghanaians home.
Minority wanted documents, not just headline figure
The Minority’s concerns centre on the need to substantiate the GH¢49.7 million figure with the underlying records.
At a press conference, the Minority said it did not oppose the evacuation of Ghanaians facing threats in South Africa but wanted documentary evidence showing how the money was spent and identifying the transactions behind the financial account.
The Minority had specifically sought records relating to expenditure on flights, accommodation, feeding, medical services and reintegration, as well as supporting invoices, payment vouchers, receipts, contracts and procurement documents.
Sources close to the matter said the latest RTI response is intended to provide the documentation requested by the MP as part of efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in the expenditure.
Ministry asks Auditor-General to audit evacuations since 2017
In a separate accountability measure contained in the Ministry’s response, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has requested that the Auditor-General conduct a special audit of evacuations undertaken by the Ministry from 2017 to date.
According to documents sighted by GhanaWeb, the Ministry’s letter requesting the audit was sent to the Auditor-General on September 17, 2026.
The proposed audit would go beyond the South Africa operation and examine previous evacuation exercises conducted by the Ministry over the period.
Sources close to the matter also said copies of the comprehensive report had been provided to the Committee’s leadership, including the Chairman.
The move places expenditure from the latest evacuation, as well as previous evacuation operations, before an independent public audit process.
Government says the evacuation was an emergency response, making the operation an emergency intervention triggered by deteriorating security conditions and threats against Ghanaian nationals.
According to the government, the evacuation was not anticipated or specifically budgeted for, but the decision to intervene was taken after an assessment of the security situation and the risks facing Ghanaian citizens.
The final government account shows that the GH¢49,721,786 expenditure was not limited to transporting citizens home. It also covered accommodation, feeding, medical treatment, transportation and reintegration assistance.
The government has also said the entire evacuation bill has been paid, with no outstanding liabilities.
With the Auditor-General set to examine evacuation spending dating back to 2017 following the Ministry’s formal request, scrutiny of Ghana’s expenditure on emergency assistance to citizens abroad is expected to extend beyond the South Africa operation.
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