Security Analyst Challenges NPP To Open Its Evacuation Books
Says Accountability Cannot Be Applied Only To Political Opponents
By Gifty Boateng
A prominent security analyst has detonated a political bombshell, accusing the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) of rank hypocrisy and selective outrage over government evacuation funds, while demanding a comprehensive forensic audit of all emergency evacuation operations dating back to 2017.
Emmanuel Kutin, Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Security, threw down the gauntlet on GTV’s Current Agenda programme, alleging that the NPP’s fierce criticism of the current administration’s handling of evacuation funds reeks of double standards given the party’s own opaque financial record on evacuations during its tenure.
Kutin pulled no punches, revealing that the previous NPP administration presented what he described as incomplete financial figures to Parliament concerning evacuation exercises from hotspots including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ukraine, China, Sudan, and parts of West and Central Africa.
According to the security analyst, the former government reported that approximately 10,025 people were evacuated worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic but the numbers presented to Parliament raise more questions than they answer.
The figures tabled included $44.6 million for quarantine arrangements, $8.7 million from China, $1.7 million from the UAE, and $475,895 from West and Central Africa. Yet Kutin insists the full financial picture was never disclosed.
“Where is the complete accounting?” Kutin demanded. “The NPP cannot demand transparency from this government while hiding behind incomplete figures from its own time in office.”
On the evacuation of Ghanaians from Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, Kutin dropped another bombshell: 249 Ghanaians were flown home by March 30, 2022, out of approximately 700 students trapped in the war zone.
The government announced an initial release of $2 million but the final cost of the operation? Never publicly disclosed.
“The NPP government announced $2 million. Where did the rest go? What was the final bill to the taxpayer? Ghanaians deserve answers,” Kutin thundered.
The Sudan evacuation raised similar red flags. According to Kutin, 74 people were included in the first airlift, with more evacuated subsequently through Ethiopia and Egypt.
Yet the financial details of the operation remain shrouded in secrecy no public accounting, no parliamentary scrutiny, no transparency.
Turning his fire on the current administration, Kutin said Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa must respond to concerns raised by the Minority in Parliament regarding discrepancies in documents relating to the recent South Africa evacuation.
“When it comes to Honourable Okudzeto Ablakwa, some of us feel that we must hold him to the highest standard, given what he did in this country when his party was in opposition,” Kutin declared.
But he cautioned against rushing to judgment, noting that discrepancies in records do not, by themselves, establish that money has been stolen or gone missing.
“It’s either that probably there’s poor record-keeping somewhere, or something worse might have happened,” Kutin said, calling for an audit to establish the facts.
In a sharp critique of the Minority’s strategy, Kutin accused the opposition lawmakers of excessive reliance on press conferences rather than pursuing proper parliamentary procedures.
He argued that the Minority could have first invited the minister before Parliament’s Select Committee on Foreign Affairs to demand explanations and clarification of the disputed figures.
“The Minority would have strengthened its position if it had pursued parliamentary procedures before taking the matter to the public domain,” Kutin said.
In a dramatic twist, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has formally asked the Auditor-General to conduct a special audit of government-funded emergency evacuation exercises undertaken since 2017 including the recent South Africa operation.
The request, contained in a letter cited by Citi News, seeks an independent review of the financial and administrative arrangements surrounding evacuations organised to assist Ghanaian nationals facing risks abroad.
The audit is expected to cover at least four major evacuation exercises: the COVID-19 evacuations in 2020, Ukraine in 2022, Sudan in 2023, and the recent South Africa evacuation in 2026.
The Ministry has also invited the Auditor-General to include any other evacuation exercise considered relevant to the review.
According to the letter, the audit is intended to provide an independent assessment of how public funds were used during the exercises, taking into account the exceptional and emergency circumstances under which they were conducted.
“The Ministry would be grateful for a distinct assessment of each exercise, setting out findings, costs, observations and recommendations, and where appropriate, a summary of common issues and recommended measures across the exercises,” the Ministry said.
Kutin further argued that the government’s reset agenda must include stronger accountability mechanisms, warning that calls for transparency would lose credibility if applied selectively to political opponents.
He called for the establishment of a standard national procedure for evacuating Ghanaians during emergencies, including clear financial reporting requirements and effective monitoring of expenditure.
He proposed the use of digital payment systems, including mobile money, to improve traceability and reduce the risk of financial irregularities.
“Ghana must learn from previous evacuation exercises and introduce reforms that would ensure transparency, proper documentation and accountability, regardless of which political party is in power,” Kutin said.
As the Auditor-General prepares to dig into nearly a decade of evacuation spending, the political establishment holds its breath. The audit will cover operations under both NPP and NDC administrations and the findings could prove explosive.
For now, Kutin’s message is clear: accountability cannot be selective. The NPP’s outrage over the current government’s evacuation funds rings hollow when its own record remains mired in missing millions and incomplete disclosures.