Former Sekondi Member of Parliament Andrew Egyapa Mercer has called for Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to resign or be dismissed over questions surrounding Ghana’s evacuation of citizens from South Africa.
He made the call on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana. He said the minister should be held accountable by the standards he has set for public office.
“By his own standards, he must resign or be sacked!” Mr Mercer said.
His comments come amid growing scrutiny of the government’s reported evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic attacks. The Minority in Parliament has questioned whether the passenger records provided by the Foreign Affairs Ministry fully support the official figures.
Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, has raised concerns about what he describes as discrepancies between the Ministry’s reported figures and the passenger records made available for examination.
According to the Minority’s assessment, the documents reviewed identified 1,173 passengers. These comprised 926 people recorded on chartered flights and 247 identified in the commercial flight documentation. The Minority says this leaves a difference of 791 passengers compared with the government’s reported total of 1,964. It argues that the Ministry must explain how the records reconcile with the official figure.
The source notes that the difference found in the documents reviewed does not, by itself, establish that the government’s reported figure is incorrect.
The evacuation took place between May 27 and September 4, 2026. It reportedly cost GH¢49.72 million, according to figures announced by the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The spending covered chartered and commercial flights, accommodation, feeding, medical care, ground transportation and other logistical support. It also included a GH¢5,000 reintegration grant and a GH¢500 transport allowance for each evacuee.
After examining documents the Ministry provided in response to a Right to Information request, the Minority raised concerns about flight records, payment registers and entries it considers inconsistent or insufficiently supported.
Source: Prekehmedia.com – LINK
