Foreign Affairs Ministry requests special audit of emergency evacuations since 2017

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has formally asked the Auditor-General to undertake a special audit of government-funded emergency evacuation exercises conducted since 2017.

The request seeks an independent examination of the financial and administrative arrangements surrounding the evacuations, including the latest operation to bring Ghanaians back from South Africa following reported xenophobic attacks.

In a letter to the Auditor-General, the Ministry requested a review of at least four major evacuation exercises: the COVID-19 evacuation operations in 2020, the evacuation of Ghanaians from Ukraine in 2022, the Sudan evacuation in 2023 and the recent South Africa operation in 2026.

The Ministry has also asked the Auditor-General to include any other government-funded evacuation exercise considered relevant to the review.

According to the request, the audit is intended to provide an independent assessment of the use of public funds during the operations, while taking into account the exceptional circumstances and urgent nature of the evacuations.

“The Ministry would be grateful for a distinct assessment of each exercise. Setting out findings, costs. observations and recommendations, and where appropriate, a summary of common issues and recommended measures across the exercises,” the Ministry said.

The review is also expected to identify lessons that could help improve the Ministry’s preparedness, financial management and internal control systems when responding to emergencies involving Ghanaians abroad.

The decision to seek the audit comes amid scrutiny from the Minority in Parliament over expenditure on the recent evacuation of Ghanaian nationals from South Africa.

The government has put the cost of that operation at GH¢49.72 million, covering the evacuation and other support provided to affected citizens.

The Ministry has also responded to a Right to Information request submitted by the Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, by providing a report of more than 200 pages detailing aspects of the South Africa evacuation.

However, the proposed special audit will extend beyond the latest exercise and examine government-funded emergency evacuations dating back to 2017.

The Ministry has assured the Auditor-General of its full cooperation and said it would make the necessary financial and administrative records available to facilitate the audit.

It said the broader review was intended to strengthen transparency, accountability and good governance while helping the government improve its capacity to respond effectively to future emergencies involving Ghanaians abroad.