The Minority in Parliament has demanded the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa over alleged financial irregularities in the GH¢49.72 million evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa, threatening to seek his dismissal and initiate a vote of censure if he refuses to step down.

The minority said a review of Ministry records and independent media investigations had raised concerns about allowance payments, duplicated entries, missing signatures, inadequate receipts and the reported cost of flights.

The controversy centres on the evacuation expenditure announced by the Minister after Ghanaians faced threats to their safety in South Africa.

The Minority said it supported the exercise but expected full accountability for the public funds committed to it.

Addressing a press conference in Parliament, the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, said the Caucus obtained records from the Ministry through a request under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), and compared them with the Minister’s public statements. Mr Jinapor said the review identified discrepancies in payment registers and gaps in supporting documentation that required an independent investigation.

He said some evacuees had reportedly received less than the GH¢5,500 support package announced by the government, while records allegedly indicated payments that recipients said they had not received.

The Minority also questioned expenditure on flights and called for documentation to justify the costs.

It maintained that the Minister’s subsequent media defence had not resolved its concerns.

Mr Jinapor rejected suggestions that the Minority had paid evacuees to criticise the government, saying the Caucus had neither recruited nor paid them.

He said some returnees had spoken voluntarily after discovering differences between their reported payments and the amounts recorded.

The Caucus also cited media reports that the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria had warned evacuees against speaking to journalists, questioning the need for such a warning.

Deputy Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Bosome-Freho MP, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, presented the Minority’s detailed findings and supporting evidence.

Mr Jinapor called on Mr Ablakwa to resign in accordance with Section 2.1(j) of President John Dramani Mahama’s 2025 Code of Conduct and Ethics for Political Appointees, which provides for resignation where a minister’s actions or leadership result in significant failure, corruption or a breach of public trust.

If the Minister refuses, the Minority intends to urge President Mahama to terminate his appointment under Article 81(a) of the Constitution and consider a vote of censure under Article 82 and Order 138 of Parliament’s Standing Orders.

The Caucus is demanding a comprehensive independent audit to establish how the GH¢49.72 million was spent, whether the announced allowances reached their intended beneficiaries and whether any officials should be held accountable.

The concerns remain allegations requiring independent verification; they do not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing by the Minister or other officials.