Criticisms about South Africa evacuation payment don't add up, just created to discourage us – Ablakwa 

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has questioned reports that some Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa received less than their approved allowances.

He said all 1,964 evacuees received GH¢5,000 as a reintegration allowance and GH¢500 for transportation, bringing the total package to GH¢5,500 per person.

His comments follow a JoyNews Research report that at least three people contacted from the evacuation list claimed they received GH¢2,000 instead of the announced GH¢5,500 package.

Speaking to members of the Ghanaian community in Canada over the weekend, Ablakwa expressed surprise that the alleged underpayments were being reported months after the evacuees returned to Ghana.

“For more than four months since the evacuation commenced, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not received a single complaint,” he said.

The minister explained that the beneficiaries had been informed before leaving South Africa that they would receive the money.

He said the announcement was repeated upon their arrival at the airport, where they were given envelopes containing the allowances and encouraged to check the amounts.

The Minister argued that anyone who received less than the stated amount could have raised the matter immediately rather than waiting for a media organisation to contact them months later.

He also defended the officials who handled the payments, expressing confidence in the integrity of personnel from the ministry’s Finance Directorate and the security team involved in the exercise.

“These stories do not add up, and they are calculated at probably discouraging us from always stepping in and rescuing Ghanaians from harm’s way,” he added.

The minister maintained that he would continue to prioritise the welfare and protection of Ghanaians despite the criticism surrounding the evacuation exercise.

The controversy comes amid broader concerns raised by the Minority in Parliament over the GH¢49.72 million spent on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks.

The Minority has questioned gaps in the supporting documents for the expenditure and called for an independent audit, alleging that more than GH¢16.4 million requires further explanation.