Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has requested a special audit of government evacuation exercises conducted from 2017 to date.

Ablakwa requested the special audit in a formal letter dated September 17, addressed to the Auditor‑General in Accra.

The audit is expected to cover major evacuation operations undertaken over the period, including those involving Ghanaians affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Sudan crisis and the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

“The Ministry would be grateful for a distinct assessment of each exercise, setting out findings, cost, observations and recommendations, and where appropriate, a summary of common issues and recommended measures across the exercises.”

The request comes as the Ministry releases over a 200-page report on the government’s evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa in response to a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by the Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh.

Sources familiar with the matter told Citi News that the Ministry submitted the RTI response electronically on Friday, September 18, 2026.

The documents contain records relating to more than 1,900 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa, including contact details and signatures of some of the evacuees.

The South Africa evacuation exercise, which began on May 27 and ended on September 4, brought 1,964 Ghanaians back to Ghana.

According to figures announced by Mr Ablakwa on September 7, the exercise cost GH¢49.72 million.

Of the total expenditure, GH¢38.84 million was used for chartered flights, commercial air tickets, ground transportation, feeding, accommodation and medical services.

Another GH¢10.8 million went towards reintegration and transportation allowances, while GH¢84,274 was spent on repatriating the remains of two Ghanaians.

The government provided GH¢33.72 million, while Engineers and Planners contributed GH¢16 million towards the exercise.

Audit to cover past evacuation exercises

The special audit will examine expenditure associated with government evacuation exercises from 2017, including the latest South Africa operation.

It is expected to provide further scrutiny of how funds were spent across the various exercises and cover areas such as evacuation arrangements, transportation, accommodation, feeding, medical services and reintegration support.

The move comes amid Parliament’s scrutiny of the GH¢49.7 million spent on the South Africa evacuation.

The RTI application by Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh was filed while the evacuation exercise was still ongoing and sought detailed financial and operational records, including information on flights, procurement, payments, private-sector contributions and reintegration support.

At the time, the Ministry explained that it could not provide a complete account because the exercise was still underway.

“It should be noted that, at the time the request for information was received, the evacuation exercise was still ongoing, as alluded to in the RTI request under reference. Consequently, the Ministry couldn't provide a complete and final account of the exercise at that stage, as associated expenditures and other operational details had not yet been fully completed,” the Ministry stated.

The evacuation concluded on September 4 with the arrival of the final 41 evacuees.

Sources close to the Foreign Affairs Committee said copies of the latest RTI report have also been provided to the Committee’s leadership, including its Chairman.

The special audit is expected to provide a broader review of expenditure on government evacuation exercises over the period under review.