SA evacuation: 'Some got GH¢2,000 instead of GH¢5,000; where is their money?' – Oquaye Jnr quizzes Ablakwa

New Patriotic Party (NPP) member Mike Oquaye Jnr has called on Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to resign or face dismissal by President John Mahama over alleged irregularities in expenditure on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.

He questioned the amounts reportedly spent on chartered flights for the exercise and raised concerns about claims that some evacuees did not receive their full allowances.

Mr Oquaye Jnr, son of former Speaker of Parliament Professor Mike Oquaye, argued that the minister must provide a detailed account of how public funds were used, particularly given his previous criticism of government spending on charter flights and official travel.

He claimed that chartering an aircraft with a capacity of about 300 passengers would typically cost approximately US$150,000, or about US$300,000 under emergency arrangements, but alleged that the minister paid US$750,000 per flight.

“Are we not supposed to question him? We will question him because it’s state money,” he said.

He also challenged the reported distribution of allowances to the evacuees, alleging that while some received the expected GH¢5,000, others were paid GH¢2,000 or received nothing.

“Some got GH¢2,000 instead of GH¢5,000. Where is their money? Some did not get 500. Where is their money?” he asked.

Mr Oquaye Jnr further questioned reports that some evacuees were accommodated in hotels while others allegedly spent nights in buses.

He insisted that the minister must address the specific concerns surrounding the flight costs, allowances and accommodation arrangements instead of relying on broad explanations of the overall expenditure.

He said Ablakwa should step aside while the allegations were addressed, adding that President Mahama should remove him from office if he failed to resign.

“We have also called that if he doesn’t resign, the President too should look at sacking him as well,” he said.

Mr Oquaye Jnr maintained that the minister must be held accountable because the expenditure involved public funds, arguing that his previous demands for transparency from other public officials made it necessary for him to provide clear answers over the evacuation exercise.