Minority Demands Ablakwa's Resignation Over South Africa Evacuation Payment Shortfalls
- The Minority in Parliament called on Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to resign over alleged payment shortfalls during Ghana's South Africa evacuation exercise
- Ranking Member Samuel Abdulai Jinapor made the demand at a press conference at Parliament on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 citing a breach of public trust
- Reports emerged that at least three evacuees received GH¢2,000 instead of the GH¢5,500 package the government had announced
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Ghana's Minority in Parliament has called on Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to step down, following allegations that some Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa did not receive the full GH¢5,500 support package the government had promised.
Source: UGC
Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, the Ranking Member on Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, raised the demand at a press conference in Parliament on Tuesday, 27 October.
He urged President John Dramani Mahama to terminate the Minister's appointment if Ablakwa refuses to go voluntarily, citing Article 81(a) of Ghana's 1992 Constitution.
Jinapor invokes code of conduct
Jinapor grounded his call in Section 2.1(j) of President Mahama's 2025 Code of Conduct and Ethics for Political Appointees, which he argued obligates a Minister to resign where their actions result in significant failure, corruption, or a breach of public trust.
"Given the gravity of these revelations and to ensure an impartial investigation into the matter, we call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Honourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to resign immediately. His handling of this exercise has brought his high office into disrepute," Jinapor said.
He also called for a full, independent audit of the entire evacuation exercise, to be carried out by an internationally reputable accounting firm, to establish the true extent of any payment irregularities.
The controversy centres on claims that at least three individuals on the evacuation list say they received GH¢2,000 rather than the GH¢5,500 package, which was made up of GH¢5,000 in reintegration support and GH¢500 for transport costs.
Ablakwa denies any shortfall
Ablakwa has firmly pushed back against the allegations. Speaking to the Ghanaian community in Ottawa, Canada, during an official working visit, he insisted that every person on the evacuation list, including minors, received the complete package.
The Minister stated that his ministry had not received a single complaint about missing payments throughout the more than four months since the evacuation exercise commenced.
He further noted that no concerns about absent envelopes or underpayments were raised at the airport when evacuees arrived.
Source: Twitter
Minority demands Sammy Gyamfi's dismissal
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Ghana's Minority Caucus in Parliament had called for the immediate removal of Sammy Gyamfi as Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), accusing him of making statements that could undermine the country's fight against illegal small-scale mining, commonly known as galamsey.
The demand was set out in a press release dated October 23, 2026, signed by Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, the Member of Parliament for Mampong and Ranking Member of the Parliament's Lands and Natural Resources Committee.
The caucus described Gyamfi's alleged remarks as reckless and potentially damaging to Ghana's anti-galamsey efforts.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
