The controversy surrounding Ghana’s evacuation of citizens from South Africa has triggered mixed reactions from government officials, opposition politicians and civil society activists, with disagreements over the GH¢49.72 million expenditure and alleged irregularities in payment records.

The operation, which involved the evacuation of Ghanaians amid anti-immigration protests and xenophobic tensions, has raised questions about financial accountability and the handling of official documents.

Ablakwa describes allegations as ‘propaganda’

Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has defended the exercise, describing allegations of corruption as “propaganda” and “a desperate attempt to create a scandal”.

What Ablakwa has said about evacuations amid renewed xenophobic attacks

He challenged critics to identify any legitimate evacuee who did not receive the promised GH¢5,500 reintegration allowance and GH¢500 transportation grant.

Quashie admits clerical errors in evacuation records

Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, acknowledged clerical errors involving 15 names among 1,964 records but described them as minor data-entry mistakes.

He explained that some passport expiry dates had mistakenly been entered as dates of birth.

He also stated that 80% of the evacuees were legal residents in South Africa.

Duhoe rejects claims of irregularities and harassment

Media Relations Officer of the Foreign Ministry, Fred Duhoe, rejected the allegations, accusing the Minority of presenting inconsistent arguments.

He further denied claims that Ministry staff were being harassed over suspected leaks of official documents.

Asafo Adjei Ayeh calls for independent audit

Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Asafo Adjei Ayeh, has called for an independent audit of the exercise.

He alleged that documents obtained through a Right to Information request contained duplicate entries, signatures attributed to minors and a financial gap of about GH¢16.4 million.

He also accused Ablakwa of using investigators to intimidate civil servants suspected of leaking the documents.

Anyidoho demands dismissal of Ablakwa, Quashie

Former Presidential Communications Director Koku Anyidoho has criticised the discrepancies, describing them as a national embarrassment.

He called for the dismissal of Ablakwa and Quashie over the controversy.

Kotin accuses Minority of using AI to manufacture scandal

Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Security and Counterterrorism, Emmanuel Kotin, has criticised the Minority’s approach to the controversy.

Kotin, who initially supported calls for accountability, later accused the Minority of “using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to manufacture a scandal”, arguing that reliance on AI tools had contributed to misleading conclusions.

The competing claims have intensified calls for clarity over the evacuation expenditure, the alleged discrepancies in the records and the need for accountability.

While the Foreign Ministry maintains that the operation was successful, critics insist that an independent examination of the documents and expenditure is necessary to resolve the concerns.

NA/VPO