The Member of Parliament for Bosome-Freho, Hon. Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, has formally invoked Ghana’s Right to Information (RTI) law to demand a comprehensive account of public funds spent on the recent evacuation of more than 1,600 Ghanaians from South Africa following outbreaks of xenophobic violence.
In an RTI application dated August 17, 2026, the MP cited Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution and the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), requesting detailed financial and procurement information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The request follows an August 13 statement issued by the Ministry, which said the evacuation and related operations were fully funded by the Ghanaian government in partnership with private “Ghanaian partners”, without financial assistance from the South African government.
Hon. Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, who is also Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee, argues that despite the public announcements surrounding the evacuation and reintegration exercise, critical information about the cost and financing of the operation remains undisclosed.
What the MP Wants Disclosed
The MP is demanding a complete breakdown of expenditure in both Ghana cedis and US dollars, including costs associated with chartered flights, commercial air tickets, ground transportation, accommodation, consular services, staff-related expenses and reintegration packages.
He is also requesting copies of relevant payment vouchers, contracts, invoices and receipts to substantiate the expenditure.
On the source of funding, the MP wants the Ministry to identify the specific public accounts from which the operation was financed, including whether funds were drawn from the Contingency Fund, Consolidated Fund or existing Ministry allocations. He is further seeking the corresponding release warrants from the Ministry of Finance.
The RTI request also seeks the identities of the private entities described by the Ministry as “Ghanaian partners”, together with details of their financial or in-kind contributions, the accounts into which any funds were deposited, and whether they are expected to benefit from tax exemptions, government contracts or other forms of preferential treatment.
The MP is additionally asking for a complete schedule of evacuation flights, including the service providers, number of passengers transported, cost of each rotation and the procurement method used for each contract.
In particular, he wants clarification on whether the contracts were awarded through competitive tendering, single-source procurement or emergency procurement procedures.
Reintegration Costs Also Under Scrutiny
The RTI application extends to the reintegration and relief component of the exercise.
Hon. Asafo-Adjei Ayeh is requesting details of the amounts paid to evacuees for transportation and reintegration, the eligibility criteria for receiving such support and a detailed breakdown of the cost of relief items distributed to returnees.
The MP has asked that the requested information be provided electronically within the statutory timeframe prescribed under Act 989 and has indicated his willingness to pay any legally prescribed reproduction fees.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has formally acknowledged and stamped receipt of the application.
The request therefore puts the Ministry on notice that the financial management of the evacuation exercise is now subject to formal parliamentary and public scrutiny, with the MP seeking to establish not only how much was spent, but who paid, who was paid, through which procurement process, and from which public funds.
