The Minority in Parliament has called for a detailed breakdown of the GH¢49.7 million the government says it spent to evacuate Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic attacks.

Speaking on JoyNews Prime, the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, said the Minority wants to know how the funds were spent.

He said the Minority is preparing a Right to Information (RTI) request to obtain details of the expenditure.

Court dismisses US$1.24 million commission claim against Bank of Ghana

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the government spent GH¢49,721,786 to evacuate 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa to Ghana.

The amount included GH¢10.8 million paid as reintegration and transportation allowances.

Each evacuee received GH¢5,000 as a reintegration grant and GH¢500 for transportation.

The government said it contributed GH¢33.7 million towards the total cost, while businessman Ibrahim Mahama’s Engineers and Planners contributed GH¢16 million.

However, the expenditure has raised questions from the Minority, particularly over the cost of transporting the evacuees.

Assafuah questioned the amount spent per evacuee and said the cost of a one-way flight from South Africa to Ghana could be significantly lower than the amount implied by the overall expenditure.

EXPLAINER: What happens when you write a cheque without enough money in your account?

He stressed, however, that the Minority was not accusing the government of wrongdoing, but wanted to examine the figures and determine whether value for money was achieved.

“We are asking questions. We want to interrogate the numbers,” he said.

The evacuation exercise began on May 27 and ended on September 4, 2026. It was initially approved for 300 Ghanaians but was later expanded to cover 1,964 people.

The government has said the full cost of the operation has been paid and that there are no outstanding liabilities.

GHS49.7 million on South Africa evacuation: Minority to file RTI request seeking details of GHS49.7 million repatriation costshttps://t.co/yiXro05Nak#JoyNews | #JoyNewsPrime pic.twitter.com/Q12uzYU79h

— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) September 7, 2026