NPP to stage 'Y3gye y3 sika' protest on November 3 over South Africa evacuation controversies

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced plans for a nationwide demonstration on November 3, 2026, to demand the removal of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa over concerns surrounding the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa and the issuance of diplomatic and service passports.

The protest, dubbed “Y3gye y3 sika”, is scheduled to begin at 6:00 a.m. at Villaggio, near the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange and opposite Accra Mall. The demonstrators will march to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before proceeding to Jubilee House.

Announcing the planned demonstration at a press conference on Thursday, October 29, the NPP’s National Youth Organiser, Abanga Fuseini Yakubu, called on Ghanaians to join the party in demanding accountability over the management of public funds and the issuance of official documents.

“The public money belongs to the people, so do the official documents of the Republic. The ministers hold them in trust, and when the trust is abused, it is the people who must rise and demand accountability,” he said.

The party is demanding Mr Ablakwa’s dismissal and wants the Attorney-General and the Office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate the allegations. It is also calling for the prosecution of the minister and any other officials found culpable. The allegations have not been established.

NPP demands documents on South Africa evacuation

Regarding the evacuation exercise, the opposition party is demanding the publication of invoices, contracts and proof of payment for all charter flights used to bring Ghanaians home.

It is also seeking the full passenger manifest and list of beneficiaries to verify the reported evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaian nationals, alongside an independent audit of the total cost of the exercise.

The NPP further wants the government to disclose details of all diplomatic and service passports issued since January 2025.

The information, according to the party’s demands, should include the official status or position that qualified each recipient for the documents and the authorities responsible for approving their issuance.

The planned demonstration is intended to pressure the government to address the concerns and provide explanations over the evacuation arrangements and the administration of diplomatic and service passports.