“Show us the invoices”: Calls grow for receipts on South Africa evacuation spending
Calls are growing for Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to make original invoices available for the GH¢49.72 million South Africa evacuation exercise.
HENRY GERCHI 
ACCRA, October 23, 2026 — Pressure is mounting on Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to provide original invoices and supporting records for the GH¢49.72 million spent on evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa.
The controversy centres on the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic attacks. The total reported expenditure was GH¢49.72 million, comprising government funding and a GH¢16 million contribution from Engineers and Planners, owned by Ibrahim Mahama.
Calls for original invoices
The demand for original invoices has been raised by critics seeking greater transparency over the cost of the evacuation, particularly the reported expenditure on chartered flights.
A related report by DeStoryGh said the New Patriotic Party had challenged the Foreign Affairs Minister to produce original invoices for three chartered flights. The party alleged that each flight was recorded at US$750,000 and questioned whether the amounts reflected market prices.
These are allegations and questions raised by political critics; they are not, by themselves, proof of inflated costs or wrongdoing.
Ablakwa says expenditure is accounted for
Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has denied that any money is missing. He has said the Ministry provided supporting documentation, including passenger records, beneficiary sign-off sheets and receipts covering flight and logistical expenses.
The Minister has also stated that the Ministry requested an independent audit of evacuation exercises dating back to 2017.
The Minority in Parliament has called for an audit to clarify issues it says arose from its review of the Ministry’s report. The Majority Caucus, meanwhile, has defended the documentation submitted by the Ministry.
Audit expected to clarify disputed figures
The central issue is whether the supporting records adequately establish the amounts spent and the services paid for. Original invoices, payment records and an independent audit could help determine whether the expenditure was properly documented and represented value for money.
The demand for receipts should therefore be considered alongside the Ministry’s account of the documents it has already submitted and the outstanding questions raised by Parliament.
Sources: Discover Newspaper | DeStoryGh report on the invoice demand
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