Abu Jinapor Calls for Clarity on GH¢49.72m Evacuation Expenses

General News of Monday, 7 September 2026 Source: Webbers Choice 2026-09-07 « Prev Next » Comments (0) Listen to Article Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, Ranking Member on Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, has called for transparency regarding the GH¢49.72 million spent to evacuate 1,900 Ghanaians from South Africa. On Joy FM's Top Story on September 7, Mr. Jinapor acknowledged the government's necessary decision to protect citizens amid xenophobic attacks. However, he emphasized the need for proper accounting of the expenditure. He stated that the Minority in Parliament supported the government during this crisis, which he described as disturbing. Mr. Jinapor insisted that protecting lives should not be reduced to monetary calculations. He highlighted that transparency and value for money are essential principles of public spending. 'We cannot begin to quantify monetary expenses or value when it comes to lives of our citizens,' he said. His remarks followed Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa's announcement about the evacuation costs. Mr. Ablakwa revealed that GH¢38.84 million was allocated for chartered flights, air tickets, ground transportation, feeding, accommodation, and medical care for evacuees. Additionally, GH¢10.80 million was used for reintegration support and transportation allowances. GH¢84,274 was spent on repatriating two deceased Ghanaians. Mr. Jinapor noted that these figures indicate an average cost of approximately GH¢25,000 per evacuee or about US$2,200 each. He clarified that this calculation was not intended to assign a monetary value to lives but rather to highlight the need for detailed financial reporting from the Ministry. 'If you take the figures the government put out,' he explained, 'the Ministry suggests they spent close to 50 million cedis to evacuate nearly 2,000 Ghanaians.' Mr. Jinapor urged the Foreign Affairs Ministry to publish a comprehensive account of expenditures. He argued that such transparency would benefit good governance and serve national interests. 'It will be useful for the Ministry to put out the details,' he added. Comments: This article has no comments yet, be the first to comment