The Minority Caucus has denied allegations that it paid money to or coached some Ghanaian evacuees from South Africa to speak against the government over the handling of their return to Ghana and related allowances.

His response follows a press conference held by some of the evacuees on Monday, October 26, 2026, during which they alleged that some opposition figures had attempted to coach them to speak against the government.

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Addressing the media at a press conference on October 27, 2026, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and MP for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, insisted that no member of the Minority caucus had paid or persuaded the evacuees to speak against the government.

“We have followed the press conference addressed by some persons who describe themselves as evacuees, alleging that the Minority had paid some of its members to speak against the government.

"Let me place on record that at no point in time did the minority engage, pay, and/or convince any of these evacuees to speak against the government,” the Minority stated.

Jinapor explained that some evacuees decided to speak after comparing what they were supposed to receive with what was actually paid to them.

“Some of these evacuees, learning of what they should have justly been given vis-à-vis what they actually received, decided to speak up voluntarily,” he said.

The Minority also raised concerns over reports that the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria had warned the evacuees against speaking to the media about the matter.

The caucus questioned why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the High Commission would seek to prevent the evacuees from discussing their experiences if there was nothing to hide.

“Indeed, media reports indicate that the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria has inappropriately issued a stern warning to the evacuees not to speak to the media on this matter.

"If the Ministry and the High Commission have nothing to hide, why are they attempting to gag the evacuees?” Jinapor asked.

Abu Jinapor further claimed that some evacuees who attended the press conference on Monday admitted that they had not received the full amounts the Ministry said had been paid to them.

“Worst of all, ladies and gentlemen, some of these evacuees who were present yesterday when they addressed the press conference admitted on record that they had not received what the Ministry said it had given them and what they are alleged to have signed for,” he added.

He went on to blame Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, for the alleged irregularities, accusing him of supervising the evacuation exercise.

“There is no doubt that it is the Honorable Minister for Foreign Affairs, Honorable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who supervised and superintended these grand irregularities, the apparent misapplication of public funds, potential fraud, and acts and omissions which clearly smack of a well-calculated corruption scheme to siphon public funds,” he stated.

It will be recalled that the leader of the Aggrieved South Africa Evacuees, Michael Addo, alleged that some members of the group have received calls and been coached to speak against the government.

Speaking at a press conference on October 26, 2026, he said that their conscience would not allow them to give false accounts of what happened.

“We are aware that some members of our group have received calls and coaching to speak against the government, but our conscience will not allow us to do so.

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“Even if we support the opposition party rather than the government of the day, it is only fair that we state the facts and refuse to allow petty politics to make us liars,” he added.

The allegation comes amid a dispute over reports that some Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa received GH¢2,000 instead of the approved GH¢5,500 reintegration allowance.



MAG/VPO

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