The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released the names and signatures of 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa, along with records of reintegration and transportation allowances paid to them.
The move follows allegations by the Minority in Parliament that over GH¢16 million meant for the evacuation cannot be accounted for.
In a report to Parliament, Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, disclosed that the entire evacuation cost GH¢49.72 million. This was made up of GH¢33.72 million from the Government of Ghana and GH¢16 million from Engineers and Planners.
According to him, the funds covered charter flights, commercial tickets, ground transport, feeding, hotel accommodation in South Africa, medical care and hospital bills, as well as allowances for the evacuees.
He said GH¢38.8 million was spent on flights, accommodation, transport and other logistics, while GH¢10.8 million was paid as reintegration and transport allowances.
Mr Ablakwa said each of the 1,964 evacuees, including infants, received GH¢5,000 as reintegration allowance and GH¢500 as transportation allowance.
“So far no Ghanaian evacuee from South Africa has denied ever receiving both reintegration and transportation allowances,” he stated.
The Minister dismissed claims by the Minority that GH¢16,423,470 or GH¢16,302,586 was missing, describing both figures as false.
He also rejected the Minority’s claim that only 247 evacuees arrived via commercial flights. He said documents submitted to justify the spending included passenger manifests, flight tickets, boarding passes, receipts and signed payment vouchers.
Mr Ablakwa questioned the Minority’s logic in claiming that 442 minors received allowances while insisting that only 247 people came on commercial flights, noting that government’s policy was for all evacuees, irrespective of age, to benefit from the allowances.
He said publishing the list was to demonstrate government’s commitment to transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.
“We welcome scrutiny. We only ask that reading the report comes before condemning it. The answers were there; perhaps the reading is still in progress,” he added.
The publication comes as the government and the Minority remain divided over how funds used for the evacuation were accounted for.
