How the NPP's six claims on the South Africa evacuation bill check out

Between May and September 2026, the government brought home 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs puts the total bill at ₵49.72 million.

In the first ON RECORD episode on the bill, QMS found that the Ministry's sums add up to the exact cedi and that its list of 15 flights carries 1,964 people. The claim that the money was "stolen" did not hold: the Minority's Abu Jinapor said they had not accused the minister of wrongdoing. The Minority's own ₵16.4 million figure was misleading. On its own counts the allowance gap was about ₵2.76 million, its statement gave two different totals, and it counted tickets rather than passengers. One number kept moving: the passenger count on the three chartered flights has appeared as 979, 956 and 926.

The NPP's seven days

On Sunday 18 October, NPP Communications Director Dennis Miracles Aboagye held a press briefing in Accra. He gave Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa seven days to publish the charter invoices and contracts, payment vouchers, every signed sheet, the list of evacuees with proof of payment, and the procurement method. The NPP also called for an independent international audit. The deadline falls around 25 October.

"More than half the money comes with no invoice," Mr Aboagye said.

The scorecard

$750,000 per chartered flight: true. The Ministry's charter line is ₵27,183,700 for three planes, about ₵9.06 million each. At ₵11.2 to ₵12 to the dollar, that is roughly $755,000 to $809,000 a flight.

The price was inflated and should be $180,000 to $300,000: not proven. The NPP has not published its "industry checks". Using the minister's figures, a charter seat cost about ₵28,435 and a seat on the later commercial flights about ₵9,346, about a third of the charter price. The commercial figure includes layovers. Only the invoices can explain the gap.

Over half the money has no invoice: unresolved. The NPP says its Right to Information response had no charter invoices, contracts or operator names. The Majority on the Foreign Affairs Committee says charter receipts were supplied. The NPP also named a "Mr Vanderpuye" but did not say who he is.

₵6.6 million of Engineers and Planners' ₵16 million is unaccounted for: misleading. The NPP's figure is ₵16 million minus about ₵9.4 million in airline receipts. But the Ministry's own answer says the company bought tickets and also paid reintegration support directly. Allowances totalled ₵10.8 million, so that support can cover the gap. Whether the ₵16 million came as cash or as purchases, and into which account, is still a fair question.

Signatures do not add up to 1,964: unresolved. On 18 October the Ministry released evacuees' names, signatures and payment records. Mr Ablakwa said no evacuee had denied receiving both allowances.

Two versions of letter CC/7 and two sets of ASKY figures: not proven. No documents have been shown.

Still open

Posts on X accused the minister of running from accountability and of looting. He appeared on Newsfile with documents and released the signature sheets. As of 19 October, QMS found no public reply from Mr Ablakwa on the charter invoices. The documents seen so far do not establish that any money was stolen.