The Member of Parliament for Bosome Freho, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, has invoked the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), to demand a detailed account of public funds spent on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.
In a formal request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated August 17, 2026, the MP is seeking information on the total cost of the exercise, sources of funding, private partners who supported the evacuation and payments made to returning Ghanaians.
His request follows a statement issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry on August 13, titled “Ghana Fully Funded the Evacuation of Our Nationals from South Africa Following Recent Xenophobic Attacks.”
The Ministry said more than 1,600 Ghanaians had been evacuated from South Africa since May 2026 following recent xenophobic attacks, with the exercise still ongoing.
It also stated that the evacuation was fully funded by the Government of Ghana and “our Ghanaian partners”, adding that Ghana did not seek financial or material support from the South African government.
However, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh argues that the statement fails to provide sufficient details on how much was spent, where the funds came from and who the private partners were.
MP demands expenditure breakdown
The MP is asking the Ministry to disclose the total amount spent on the evacuation between May 2026 and August 17, 2026, in both Ghana cedis and US dollars.
He is also seeking a detailed breakdown of expenditure on air charter and commercial tickets, ground transportation, accommodation, consular and travel documentation, staff costs, reintegration payments and relief items.
The request further covers supporting financial records, including invoices, payment vouchers, receipts, contracts, purchase orders, charter agreements and expenditure approvals.
Questions over funding sources
Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh also wants the Ministry to disclose the sources of funding for the exercise.
These include allocations from the Consolidated Fund or Contingency Fund, the Ministry’s approved 2026 budget, any supplementary appropriation, funds held by the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria and contributions from private sources.
He is seeking copies of relevant warrants, releases, expenditure authorisations and internal payment approvals relating to the evacuation.
Who are the ‘Ghanaian partners’?
A significant part of the RTI request focuses on the “Ghanaian partners” mentioned by the Ministry.
The MP wants the names of all individuals, companies, institutions or other entities that contributed to the exercise, together with the amount or value of their respective contributions.
He is also asking whether the contributions were made in cash or in kind and, where applicable, the public accounts into which the funds were paid.
He further wants copies of agreements, correspondence, donation records and other documents relating to the contributions.
The MP is also asking whether any of the partners received, or are entitled to receive, reimbursement, tax benefits, procurement considerations, acknowledgement of debt or any other benefit from government in connection with their support.
Details of evacuation flights
The request also seeks a comprehensive schedule of all evacuation flights or rotations undertaken since May 2026.
The information should include the dates, airlines or service providers, whether the flights were chartered or commercial, the number of evacuees carried and the cost of each flight.
He also wants the Ministry to disclose the procurement method used for each service, including whether contracts were awarded through competitive, restricted, single-source or emergency procurement.
Reintegration payments and relief items
Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh is further requesting details of financial assistance provided to evacuated Ghanaians upon their return.
He wants the Ministry to disclose the approved and actual amounts paid for reintegration support and transport fares, the total amount disbursed and the criteria used to determine eligibility.
He is also seeking information on the number of evacuees who received the payments and the authorities responsible for approving them.
In addition, the MP wants a list of relief items provided to returnees, including quantities, unit costs and total expenditure.
MP cites public interest
Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh said the request is being made in the public interest, arguing that once government has publicly disclosed that it funded the evacuation, taxpayers should have access to the financial details supporting that claim.
He has requested that the information be provided electronically and has indicated his willingness to pay any prescribed reproduction charges under the RTI Act.
The MP has also asked the Ministry to determine his application and provide written notice of its decision within the statutory period prescribed by Section 23 of Act 989.
