By Ishmeal 
The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, has denied allegations that the Minority in Parliament coached or paid Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa to criticise the government.
Jinapor’s response follows claims by some returnees that individuals linked to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) attempted to influence their public comments about the evacuation exercise and the financial assistance they received.
Addressing the issue at a press conference on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Jinapor insisted that the Minority had not engaged, paid or persuaded any of the evacuees to speak against the government.
“Let me place on record that at no point in time did the Minority engage, pay, and/or convince any of these people,” he said.
Evacuees Reject Claims of Underpayment
The controversy follows a press conference held by some Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa on Monday, October 26.
Michael Addo, a representative of the returnees, alleged that some members of the group had received calls and coaching from people linked to the NPP to make statements critical of the government.
However, the returnees maintained that they had received the full GH¢5,500 support package announced for them.
The package consisted of GH¢5,000 in reintegration assistance and GH¢500 for transportation.
Their comments came amid concerns raised by the Minority about whether all beneficiaries received the full amounts allocated to them.
Minority Questions Evacuation Expenditure
The Minority has raised concerns about the management and documentation of funds spent on the evacuation exercise.
According to figures reported by the government, approximately GH¢49.72 million was spent on bringing 1,964 Ghanaians back from South Africa between May and September 2026.
The Minority has questioned aspects of the expenditure, pointing to alleged duplicate entries, unsigned payment records and missing receipts. It has also raised concerns about reported differences between some payment records and the amounts beneficiaries say they received.
The caucus is calling for an independent audit to establish how the funds were used and whether the payments were properly documented.
These concerns remain subject to verification, and the alleged discrepancies do not, on their own, prove that public funds were misappropriated.
Ablakwa Defends Government’s Payments
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has maintained that all 1,964 evacuees received the promised GH¢5,500 support package.
The minister says each beneficiary received GH¢5,000 in reintegration assistance and GH¢500 for transportation. He has defended the ministry’s handling of the exercise and indicated that he invited the Auditor-General to audit evacuation exercises undertaken since 2017.
The Minority, however, wants the expenditure and payment records independently examined to address the concerns it has raised.
An audit could help establish whether all beneficiaries received their full allowances and clarify questions surrounding the total cost of the exercise.
Dispute Over Evacuation Exercise Continues
The disagreement has drawn public attention to the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic attacks and the use of public funds to support their return.
While Jinapor has rejected claims that the Minority coached the evacuees, questions about the evacuation expenditure and the accuracy of payment records remain part of the wider debate.
The outcome of an independent audit could provide greater clarity on the disputed payments and help ensure accountability in the management of public funds.
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