Some members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) took to the streets of Accra yesterday to demand accountability over government expenditure on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa, particularly the reported cost of the exercise.
Dubbed “Yegye Ye Sika Demo”, the demonstration was organised to press the government to provide details of the expenditure incurred during the evacuation exercise and account for the use of public funds.
The demonstrators raised concerns over the reported expenditure of US$2.5 million on three flights, demanding a financial audit and the release of invoices and other documents to support the amount spent.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Mahama Accountability Starts with You”, “Humanitarian Emergency Is No Excuse for Financial Secrecy” and “Three Flights, US$2.5 million.
Show the Invoices”, the protesters called for transparency in the handling of the evacuation expenses.
The National Youth Organiser of the NPP, Fuseini Abanga Yakubu, presented a petition at the Jubilee House, outlining the concerns of the demonstrators and making demands, including an independent financial audit of the evacuation expenses and the immediate eviction of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The demonstrators called on President John Dramani Mahama to dismiss the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, over the allegations, which they said raised concerns about the management of public funds and sensitive state documents.
They demanded an independent financial audit of the evacuation exercise, insisting that the government should account for the reported expenditure of $49.72 million on the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians.
Evacuation expenditure
A major concern raised during the demonstration was the reported $49.72 million expenditure on the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa.
The protesters demanded that the government should provide supporting documents, including airline invoices, charter contracts, proof of payment and details of intermediaries involved in the exercise.
They questioned the reported $27.1 million expenditure on chartered flights, arguing that the cost of the three flights required further explanation.
They urged the Attorney-General and the Office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate the matter and prosecute any officials found culpable.
Passport allegations
The demonstrators also raised concerns over allegations of the sale of diplomatic and service passports.
They maintained that the documents should be issued only to persons who qualified under the law and called for investigations into the circumstances surrounding their alleged sale.
