Ablakwa rejects claims of underpayment in South Africa evacuation exercise

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has rejected claims that some Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa received only GH¢2,000 instead of the GH¢5,500 promised by the government, as the Minority calls for an independent audit of the GH¢49.72 million spent on the exercise. Ablakwa maintained that all 1,000 Ghanaians on the evacuation list, including children, received the full package comprising GH¢5,000 for reintegration and GH¢500 for transportation. Speaking to members of the Ghanaian community in Ottawa, Canada, during an official working visit, he said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not received any complaints of underpayment since the evacuation exercise began more than four months ago. No legal cover for mining in rivers and forests – Cudjoe explains Sammy Gyamfi's stance His comments follow reports that at least three people contacted from the evacuation list claimed they received GH¢2,000 instead of the announced amount. “For more than four months since the evacuation commenced, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not received a single complaint,” he said. The Minister insisted that the payments were made transparently, adding that no beneficiary had complained at the airport about failing to receive an envelope or receiving less than the promised amount. “We didn’t receive a complaint at the airport that an envelope has not been received or an amount is not up to the figure. Up until this day, there has been no complaint by any of the Ghanaians evacuated,” he added. Meanwhile, the Minority has called for an independent audit of the GH¢49.72 million spent on the evacuation exercise to establish how the funds were utilised. Ablakwa described the support package as unprecedented, arguing that previous evacuation operations had not provided similar allowances for reintegration and transportation. Despite the criticism, he pledged to remain committed to assisting Ghanaians facing difficulties abroad. TOR considers GSE listing to raise funds as it tackles $517 million legacy debt “I remain fully committed to the welfare, the protection of the dignity and the rights of Ghanaians. I am not discouraged at all,” he said. DR/MA 'Not a single complaint' – Ablakwa challenges claims of SA evacuation payment shortfalls Inside Ghana’s First 950,000-Barrel Sankofa Oil Shipment | Exclusive Tour Source: www.ghanaweb.com
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