National Tymes News Desk
THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority’s demand for Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to refund GH¢6.27 million suffered a major setback on TV3’s New Day programme after the Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Hon. Bernard Bediako Baidoo, popularly known as Lawyer B.B., exposed glaring contradictions in the Minority’s own figures.
Speaking on the programme this morning, Lawyer B.B. said the Minority had accused the Foreign Affairs Minister of failing to account for some evacuees and consequently demanded a refund of GH¢6,270,000.
However, he argued that the figures contained in the Minority’s own statement did not support the amount being demanded.
According to him, the Minority’s statement indicated that 1,508 people signed for GH¢5,000 each, amounting to GH¢7,540,000, while another 1,001 people signed for GH¢500 each, amounting to GH¢500,500. These figures bring the total to GH¢8,040,500.
Lawyer B.B. argued that when this amount is deducted from the approximately GH¢10.8 million allocated for reintegration and transport support, the remaining balance is about GH¢1,959,500, rather than the GH¢6,270,000 the Minority is demanding.
“They cannot put two different figures in one statement and expect Ghanaians to believe them. Let them come and defend their own maths,” he challenges.
What Ablakwa Actually Did:
Lawyer B.B. also defended the evacuation exercise supervised by the Foreign Affairs Minister, explaining that Ghana evacuated 1,964 nationals from South Africa between May 27 and September 4, 2026, following renewed xenophobic attacks.
The exercise reportedly cost GH¢49,721,786, comprising GH¢33.7 million from government and GH¢16 million donated by Engineers and Planners.
He explained that GH¢38.84 million was spent on flights, accommodation, feeding and medical care, while approximately GH¢10.8 million went into reintegration and transport support for the evacuees.
Under the arrangement, each beneficiary was entitled to GH¢5,000 as reintegration support and GH¢500 for transportation. An additional GH¢84,274 was used to repatriate the remains of two Ghanaian nationals.
Lawyer B.B. further maintained that Ablakwa had demonstrated transparency by publishing the names of the evacuees, submitting a report of more than 200 pages under the Right to Information (RTI) process and inviting the Auditor-General to audit the exercise.
He also cited the Minister’s challenge to the Minority to identify even one evacuee who did not receive the GH¢5,500 support.
According to Lawyer B.B., the Minority has yet to produce a specific beneficiary to substantiate its allegations.
Ablakwa has consistently maintained that no money is missing from the evacuation exercise, insisting that not a cedi or pesewa has been misappropriated.
Source: Nationaltymes.com
