Former Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Vitus Azeem, has described as unfair the focus on Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa over alleged financial irregularities surrounding the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.
Azeem argued that although the concerns raised about the exercise warranted an independent investigation, it was premature to demand the minister’s resignation, dismissal or censure before the facts had been established.
According to the anti-corruption campaigner, the evacuation involved several officials, and any investigation must examine the roles played by all those involved rather than concentrate solely on the minister.
His comments follow renewed calls by the Minority in Parliament for Ablakwa to resign over alleged discrepancies in the expenditure of GH¢49.72 million on the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic attacks.
Speaking on the matter, Azeem said the allegations provided sufficient grounds to investigate the exercise but did not, in his view, establish enough evidence to justify demands for the minister’s removal.
“I think that they have established enough to push for an investigation, but not enough to demand his sack or resign. We need to establish an independent investigative body to look at the issues and come out with some findings and recommendations that the government can act on,” he said on the Joy News channel.
He said Ablakwa could be asked to step aside temporarily if there were concerns that his continued presence in office might influence the investigation.
“I agree with the step aside, but not resignation or sacking. It’s too early to jump to that conclusion, because we have not found out that he’s guilty,” Azeem added.
Azeem criticised what he described as the Minority’s excessive concentration on Ablakwa, stressing that the minister did not personally handle every aspect of the evacuation and payment process.
He argued that the investigation should establish whether any irregularities occurred, how they happened and which officials, if any, were responsible.
“I’m sure that the minister did not just take the cash and go to the airport to pay the people. He uses officers. And sometimes when you investigate, you may find that maybe the minister authorised some payment. Then somebody else along the route put something in his pocket,” he said.
He acknowledged that a minister could bear ultimate responsibility for activities undertaken under his supervision but insisted that such responsibility should not prevent investigators from examining the conduct of other officials.
“Because the minister works with people, the attention should be extended to understand what really went wrong and the extent of the matter,” he said.
Azeem maintained that an independent probe would help determine whether the alleged discrepancies resulted from administrative errors, individual misconduct or decisions taken at the ministerial level.
He added that the findings should guide any subsequent action by the government.
The comments come after the Minority in Parliament called for Ablakwa’s immediate resignation over alleged financial irregularities in the evacuation exercise.
At a press conference at Parliament House on Tuesday, the Minority Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, demanded an independent audit of the expenditure and threatened to pursue parliamentary proceedings for a vote of censure if the minister failed to resign.
Jinapor said the Minority’s review of documents obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), had revealed discrepancies in payment records, duplicate entries and gaps in supporting documentation.
He said the concerns, coupled with media reports that some evacuees allegedly did not receive their full allowances, raised questions about the management and accountability of public funds.
According to Jinapor, the minister had reported that the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians cost GH¢49,721,786, prompting the Minority to request an itemised account of the expenditure and the relevant supporting documents.
He maintained that the documents supplied by the ministry showed differences between the minister’s public statements and payment registers, alongside expenditure items requiring further explanation.
The Minority said it had previously supported the evacuation because of the threats facing Ghanaians in South Africa but insisted that the government must account for the public funds used in the operation.
Jinapor also cited media investigations that reportedly identified beneficiaries who claimed they had not received the full GH¢5,500 package, comprising GH¢5,000 for reintegration and GH¢500 for transportation.
The reports also raised questions about duplicate entries, missing signatures and expenditure items allegedly lacking supporting receipts.
However, the allegations have yet to be conclusively established through an independent audit or investigation.
Jinapor also rejected allegations by some individuals identifying themselves as evacuees that the Minority had paid them to criticise the government.
He maintained that the individuals had spoken voluntarily after becoming aware of alleged discrepancies between the amounts they were entitled to receive and what they claimed to have been paid.
The Minority Ranking Member further questioned reports that the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria had warned evacuees against speaking to journalists, arguing that the matter required clarification.
The caucus is demanding a comprehensive audit by an internationally reputable accounting firm to establish the total expenditure and determine whether the payments were properly made.
Jinapor cited Section 2.1(j) of President John Dramani Mahama’s 2025 Code of Conduct and Ethics for Political Appointees in support of the call for Ablakwa’s resignation.
He also urged President Mahama to terminate the minister’s appointment if he refused to resign, referring to Article 81(a) of the 1992 Constitution.
Additionally, the Minority threatened to consider a vote of censure under Article 82 of the Constitution and Order 138 of Parliament’s Standing Orders if the minister remained in office.
The Deputy Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament for Bosome-Freho, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, also presented details of the caucus’s findings, saying an independent audit should reconcile the reported expenditure with the available payment records and supporting documents.
Beyond the immediate controversy, Azeem described alleged exploitation of emergency situations for financial gain as part of a broader corruption problem in Ghana.
He referred to concerns surrounding procurement and contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that crises could create opportunities for individuals to benefit improperly from public resources.
He cautioned, however, that any wrongdoing in the South Africa evacuation exercise must first be established through a credible investigation.
“I think that’s the only way out to solve this problem,” he said, reiterating that the allegations should be investigated independently before conclusions were reached about the minister’s personal responsibility.
Azeem’s position is that accountability must extend to everyone involved in the evacuation and payment process, while any disciplinary or legal action should be guided by the evidence gathered.
The controversy has intensified calls for greater transparency over the reported GH¢49.72 million expenditure, with the Minority demanding the minister’s resignation and an independent audit, while Azeem argues that the investigation should establish the facts before decisions are taken on his political future.
By Gifty Boateng