Abanga Fuseini Yakubu
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced plans to embark on a demonstration on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, dubbed ‘Yɛgye Yɛ Sika’, to demand the dismissal of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa over alleged financial irregularities in the GH¢49.7 million evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa and claims of the sale of diplomatic and service passports.
Speaking at a press conference at the NPP headquarters at Asylum Down yesterday, the National Youth Organiser of the party, Abanga Fuseini Yakubu, said the allegations surrounding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were serious and required immediate action from President John Mahama.
The party also called on the Attorney General (AG) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate the allegations, insisting that the minister must account for public funds spent on the evacuation and explain the circumstances surrounding the issuance of diplomatic and service passports.
“Our message is simple and non-negotiable. Account for the people’s money. Investigate the wrongdoing and punish those responsible,” the party declared.
According to the party, the concerns include payment records, allowances, flight documentation and possible duplicate entries, and further alleged that the amount spent on chartered flights was excessive, arguing that comparable aircraft for the route should have cost significantly less.
Mr. Yakubu stated, “Our checks within the aviation industry show chartering a comparable aircraft for this route should cost Ghana not more than $300,000. Even allowing for emergency charges, the Minority in Parliament puts the ceiling at around $400,000.”
The NPP also questioned why the government allegedly paid US$750,000 for a single aircraft, adding that three chartered flights at an estimated cost of US$300,000 each should have amounted to US$900,000 and, therefore, demanded that Mr. Ablakwa publish the original airline invoices, charter contracts, proof of payment and the names of all intermediaries involved in the arrangements.
It also questioned why the ministry claimed that 1,964 Ghanaians had been evacuated, arguing that the passenger records presented to the Minority in Parliament contained gaps.
“Every person who sold, paid for, or profited from such a passport must face the full rigours of the law. Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa must account for every cedi of the evacuee money. He must account for every diplomatic and service passport issued under his watch. The public money belongs to the people, so do the official documents of the Republic. The ministers hold them in trust, and when their trust is abused, it is the people who must rise and demand accountability,” the National Youth Organiser added.
The party called on the minister to provide a passenger-by-passenger and flight-by-flight account to establish when and how all the evacuees were brought into the country, and further referred to concerns raised by some evacuees who allegedly claimed they had not received the full amounts the ministry said it had paid them, citing reports that the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria had discouraged evacuees from speaking to the media.
The party challenged Mr. Ablakwa to make the relevant records public if no money is missing, and raised concerns about allegations that diplomatic and service passports were being sold to individuals who did not qualify to hold them.
It noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had cancelled 701 diplomatic and service passports in May 2025 after former officeholders allegedly failed to return them, describing the latest allegations as a threat to Ghana’s international reputation and national security.
The party demanded the publication of the full list of diplomatic and service passports issued since January 2025, including the official positions that qualified the holders, the approving authorities, and any fees or payments received.
The NPP argued that the allegations required an independent examination of the ministry’s financial records, passport issuance procedures, and internal controls, and therefore called on President Mahama to dismiss Mr. Ablakwa, as well as urging the Attorney General and the Office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate the matter and prosecute the minister and any other officials found culpable.
The NPP also demanded the publication of the original evacuation invoices and contracts, a complete passenger manifest and beneficiary list, an independent audit of the evacuation expenditure, and full disclosure of diplomatic and service passports issued since January 2025.
The National Youth Organiser further appealed to its regional and constituency organisers, youth groups, the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON), women’s groups and other supporters to participate in the demonstration, while calling for the resignation of the Minister for Youth and Sports, Kofi Iddie Adams, over alleged visa-related scandals and failures in the handling of matters involving the National Sports Authority.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah