The youth wing of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has staged a demonstration against the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel OkudzetoAblakwa, over alleged financial irregularities in the GH¢49.7 million evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.
The demonstrators, dressed in red and black, marched through the principal streets of Accra, wielding placards with inscriptions such as: “Every Passenger, Every Flight, Account for All!”; “Recover Every Cedi Found Lost!”; “Ablakwa, Name the Flight Intermediaries!”; “Diplomatic Passports Are Not for Sale!” and “GH¢16.4 Million Questioned. Where Are the Answers?”
Addressing the protesters, the Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee and MP for BosomeFreho, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, alleged that a review of the evacuation expenditure had revealed questionable transactions and possible avenues for the diversion of public funds.
He accused the minister and the ministry of providing inconsistent expenditure records in response to concerns raised by the Minority.
According to him, the minister initially submitted a 300-page document, subsequently provided a 200-page version and later presented another 300-page document to the media.
He described the alleged inconsistencies as dishonest and demanded an independent audit of the expenditure.
“It is said the devil is in the detail. When we went into the detail, we found a lot of rot, a lot of organised crime and orchestrated avenues to steal from Ghanaians,” he alleged.
“We are demanding an independent audit, and any audit that will be conducted outside the RTI report given to the NPP Minority, we will not accept it,” he added.
ABLAKWA MUST GO
The National Youth Organiser of the NPP, Abanga Fuseini Yakubu, also demanded accountability from the government, accusing President John Mahama of failing to hold Mr Ablakwa responsible over the allegations.
He said the party would continue to mount pressure on the government, irrespective of whether the President responds to its demands.
Mr Yakubu cited youth unemployment, falling cocoa prices, high school fees and delays in the payment of some allowances as pressing challenges confronting Ghanaians.
He argued that the money allegedly mismanaged in the evacuation exercise could have been used to support cocoa farmers and nursing trainees.
He subsequently led the protesters in chanting “Ablakwa Must Go”, as they demanded the minister’s resignation.
Presenting the petition to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Shamima Muslim, at the forecourt of the Jubilee House, Mr Yakubu reiterated the party’s demand for the minister to step down.
Before receiving the petition, Ms Muslim welcomed the demonstrators and noted that the NPP had petitioned the Presidency on previous occasions since President Mahama assumed office.
She said government had consistently received the opposition party’s representatives with dignity and respect.
“Each time they come, we have received them with dignity; we have received them with respect and granted them all the courtesies our democracy requires us to grant. So, we are happy to welcome you here,” she said.
QUESTIONS EXPENDITURE RECORDS
In an interview with the media, the Director of Research of the NPP Youth Wing, Martin Abdullah, said the demonstration was intended to demand accountability and probity from the government.
He alleged that Mr Ablakwa had presented three different sets of expenditure documents to Parliament, in response to a Right to Information (RTI) request and to JoyNews.
According to him, the differences in the documents raised questions about the consistency of the ministry’s financial records.
“If you have nothing to hide, why do you keep changing and shifting the documents?” he questioned.
Mr Abdullah further alleged that more than GH¢23 million in expenditure lacked supporting invoices and demanded that the minister provide the necessary documentation to account for the money.
He also questioned the reported US$150,000 cost of a chartered flight and demanded disclosure of the intermediaries involved in arranging the flights.
He said the NPP was demanding the same standards of accountability and probity that Mr Ablakwa had previously insisted upon when scrutinising the former NPP administration.
Another demonstrator, Kyeremeh Oppong Daniel, the NPP Kwabre East Research Officer and former President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) said management of public funds was a matter of concern to the country’s youth because they represented the next generation of leaders.
He argued that the failure of current leaders to manage public resources responsibly could set a negative example for young people who would eventually take over the country’s leadership.
He also questioned the allegations surrounding the evacuation expenditure, particularly given Mr Ablakwa’s previous criticism of the former NPP administration over alleged financial mismanagement.
EVACUATION COST
The evacuation exercise saw 1,964 Ghanaians return safely from South Africa, alongside the repatriation of two bodies, at a reported total cost of GH¢49,721,786.
Of the amount, GH¢33,721,786 was reportedly funded by the Government of Ghana, while Engineers and Planners contributed GH¢16 million.
The expenditure breakdown indicated that GH¢38,835,512 was spent on evacuation operations and medical support, GH¢10,802,000 on reintegration and transport allowances, and GH¢84,274 on the repatriation of the two bodies.
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