Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is facing mounting political pressure after the Minority in Parliament demanded his immediate resignation or dismissal over alleged financial irregularities surrounding the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.
The Minority accused the minister of mishandling the government’s evacuation support payments, raising serious concerns about accountability and transparency in the GH¢49.72 million operation.
Addressing journalists in Parliament on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, called on Ablakwa to voluntarily step down to allow an independent investigation into the allegations.
Jinapor further urged President John Dramani Mahama to dismiss the minister if he refuses to resign.
The controversy follows reports that some Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa allegedly received only GH¢2,000 instead of the government’s announced GH¢5,500 financial assistance package.
The support package was intended to provide each returnee with GH¢5,000 for reintegration and an additional GH¢500 for transportation.
According to the Minority, the alleged payment discrepancies raise questions about whether public funds allocated to assist vulnerable returnees were properly distributed.
Jinapor cited Section 2.1(j) of President Mahama’s 2025 Code of Conduct and Ethics for Political Appointees, arguing that the allegations warrant political accountability.
He also referenced Article 81(a) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which allows the President to revoke a ministerial appointment.
The Minority is demanding a comprehensive independent audit of the entire evacuation programme, preferably conducted by an internationally reputable accounting firm.
However, Ablakwa has strongly rejected suggestions that returnees were shortchanged.
Speaking during an official visit to Ottawa, Canada, the minister insisted that all 1,964 evacuees received their complete GH¢5,500 packages.
He maintained that his ministry had not received any formal complaints about missing payments during the four months following the evacuation exercise.
Ablakwa has previously expressed his willingness to cooperate with investigations into the programme’s expenditure, insisting he has nothing to conceal.
Despite those assurances, the Minority remains unconvinced and insists that an independent investigation is necessary to establish the facts.
The controversy has intensified political tensions between the governing National Democratic Congress and the opposition New Patriotic Party.
With calls for resignation growing, attention now turns to President Mahama and whether he will defend his Foreign Affairs Minister or take action over the allegations.
