The Member of Parliament for Bosome-Freho and Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh has filed a Right to Information (RTI) request seeking information on government expenditure on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.
The request comes after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that the evacuation exercise was fully funded by the Government of Ghana and “Ghanaian partners” but did not provide details of the cost or identify the private entities involved.
In his RTI request Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh referenced an August 13 2026 statement issued by the Ministry, which said than 1,600 Ghanaians had been evacuated from South Africa since May 2026 with the exercise still ongoing.
The MP said the Ministry’s statement raised questions about how the exercise is being funded and how much public money has been committed to it. He is therefore seeking financial and operational information to establish the full cost of the evacuation progra
MP seeks expenditure breakdown
Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh is asking the Ministry to disclose the total amount spent on the evacuation exercise from May 2026 to the date of his RTI request.
He wants the figures provided in both Ghana cedis and US dollars with a detailed breakdown showing how the funds were spent.
The request also covers supporting documents, including invoices, payment vouchers, receipts, contracts, purchase orders and charter agreements related to the evacuation exercise.
According to the MP access to these documents would provide clarity on the financial commitments made by the government and allow the public to understand how resources allocated to the exercise were utilised.
Questions over funding sources
A key part of the request concerns the sources of funding used to finance the evacuation.
The MP is asking the Ministry to disclose whether funds were drawn from the Consolidated Fund, Contingency Fund the Ministry’s 2026 budget allocation, supplementary appropriations or funds held by the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria.
He is also seeking information on the amounts if any contributed through each of these funding channels.
The request comes amid growing interest in government spending and accountability particularly where significant public resources are involved. Providing a breakdown of the funding sources would help establish whether the exercise was financed entirely through existing budgetary allocations or whether additional resources were mobilised.
Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh is further demanding the identities of all individuals, companies and institutions described by the Ministry as ” partners”.
He wants details of their other contributions as well as copies of agreements, contracts or other arrangements governing their involvement in the evacuation.
Details of evacuation flights requested
The MP is also seeking a schedule of evacuation flights conducted as part of the exercise.
The information requested includes the dates of each flight the airlines or service providers involved the number of evacuees carried, the cost of each flight and the procurement method used to secure the services.
The request could provide insight into whether the flights were procured through processes, direct arrangements or other procurement mechanisms.
He is also asking for information on reintegration support and transport fares provided to evacuees after their return to Ghana.
This includes the approved and actual amount paid per person the criteria used to determine eligibility and the total number of beneficiaries who received the support.
Relief items and public interest
Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh has additionally requested details of relief items provided to evacuees, including the quantities supplied unit costs and total expenditure.
The MP said his request was being made in the interest arguing that once the Ministry had placed information about the funding of the evacuation exercise on the public record the supporting financial details should also be accessible to citizens.
His request invokes Ghana’s Right to Information Act 2019 (Act 989) which provides a framework for citizens to access information held by public institutions subject to the exemptions provided under the law.
The MP has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide the requested information and determine the application within the statutory period prescribed under the RTI law.
The request places the Ministry before a transparency test as questions emerge over the financial arrangements surrounding the evacuation exercise.
Beyond establishing the cost the information could help clarify the role played by government agencies, private partners and other institutions in bringing more than 1,600 Ghanaians back from South Africa.
For taxpayers and citizens the disclosure of the requested information would offer a picture of how public funds and privately provided resources were combined to finance the exercise. It would also provide an opportunity to assess whether the expenditure followed the financial and procurement procedures.
The Ministry’s response, to the RTI request is therefore likely to attract attention regarding the total expenditure, funding sources, procurement arrangements and identities of the partners involved.