The Minority in Parliament is calling for a closer examination of the GH¢49.72 million spent on the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa following a wave of xenophobic attacks.
The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, said the Minority was not opposed to the evacuation exercise but wanted greater clarity on how the funds were used and whether the expenditure represented value for money.
Speaking on TV3’s Ghana Tonight on Monday, September 7, 2026, Mr Assafuah stressed that the Minority was not accusing the government of corruption.
“We cannot say that there has been corruption, but we just want to interrogate the numbers to know the exact amount that was spent on each person,” he said.
His concerns follow figures released by the government showing that GH¢49.72 million was spent to bring 1,964 Ghanaian citizens back to the country.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa disclosed at a press briefing on Monday that the government contributed GH¢33.7 million towards the exercise, while private partner Engineers & Planners provided GH¢16 million.
Mr Assafuah also referenced the government’s disclosure that each evacuee received GH¢5,000, in addition to GH¢500 for transportation.
Using the reported total expenditure and number of evacuees, he argued that the overall cost amounted to roughly GH¢25,000 per person, far above the direct support reportedly given to each returnee.
“If you divide the 1,900 with the 49 million, you realise that about GH¢26,000 or GH¢27,000 will be spent on each person,” he said.
The Old Tafo MP said the Minority’s objective was to establish exactly what accounted for the remaining expenditure and ensure that the public was given a clear breakdown.
He maintained that the evacuation itself was not the issue, but rather the need for transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.
“We have to interrogate the numbers and that is what we are so much interested in,” Mr Assafuah said.
