The youth wing of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has staged a demonstration in Accra, demanding accountability over the government’s expenditure on the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa and the issuance of official travel documents.
The protest, dubbed ‘Yɛgye Yɛ Sika’, brought NPP youth onto the streets of Accra on Tuesday, November 3, to demand accountability over the South Africa evacuation expenditure and greater transparency in the issuance of diplomatic and service passports.
The protesters began their march from Villaggio, near the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange, heading towards the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before proceeding to Jubilee House, where they are expected to present a petition to the President.
A central demand of the demonstration concerns a reported GH¢16.4 million discrepancy in the GH¢49.7 million expenditure on the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa.
Speaking in an interview with the media, the NPP Deputy National Communications Director said the protest was intended to compel the government to account for the disputed amount.
“It is simple; we are demanding the 16.4 million Ghana cedis that Okudjeto Ablakwa has shortchanged Ghanaians, so the protest is simple; we are demanding our money,” the Deputy Communications Director said.
As part of their demands, the protesters want the government to release the original invoices, contracts and proof of payment for all chartered flights used during the evacuation.
They are also seeking the full passenger manifest and beneficiary list to establish the identities and number of people who benefited from the exercise.
The party is further calling for an independent audit of the total expenditure to establish how the funds were utilised and address the questions surrounding the financial records.
Beyond the evacuation expenditure, the demonstrators are demanding greater transparency in the issuance of diplomatic and service passports.
They want the government to publish details of all such passports issued since January 2025, including the qualifying positions or status of recipients and the authorities that approved their issuance.
The NPP youth wing is also calling for the cancellation of any passports found to have been issued irregularly and the prosecution of officials found culpable.
The party has additionally demanded the immediate removal of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to allow investigations into the controversies to proceed.
The demonstration follows weeks of political debate over the reported GH¢49.7 million spent on the evacuation exercise, with the Minority in Parliament raising concerns about flight costs, payment records and the distribution of financial support to evacuees.
Mr Ablakwa has rejected allegations of financial wrongdoing and invited the Auditor-General to conduct an independent audit of the evacuation exercise.
The NPP, however, insists that the concerns surrounding the expenditure and passport issuance require further scrutiny, maintaining that public officials must account for the management of public funds and state documents.
