The Minority Caucus on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has pulled out of a closed-door meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 16, over the Foreign Ministry’s failure to provide detailed expenditure records for the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.

The Caucus says the Ministry has yet to furnish it with the itemised account and supporting documents it requested under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989).

The Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is expected to brief the Committee on the evacuation exercise at the meeting.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 15, and signed by the Ranking Member of the Committee, Samuel A. Jinapor, the Minority said it would not participate in the meeting unless the requested records are provided.

According to the statement, the Minority submitted a formal RTI request to the Ministry on August 17, 2026, under reference number MP/BF/RTI/2026/007.

The request was received by the Ministry on August 25.

The Caucus said it sought comprehensive information and supporting records on the cost and financing of the evacuation exercise.

Among the documents requested were details of expenditure incurred, sources of funding, the identities and contributions of private partners, spending on flights and other transportation, accommodation, feeding, medical services and reintegration payments.

The Minority also requested relevant procurement and payment records.

On September 7, the Foreign Affairs Minister announced that almost GH¢50 million had been spent on the evacuation and reintegration of 1,964 Ghanaians.

The Minority, however, says it has not received the supporting records behind the figure.

“To date, however, the Ministry has not furnished the Minority with the itemised account and supporting documentation requested,” the statement said.

The Minority stressed that it supported the government's decision to evacuate Ghanaians whose safety and welfare were threatened by xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

“The protection of Ghanaian citizens abroad is an important responsibility of the State, and our support for measures taken to secure their safety has never been in doubt,” it said.

It nevertheless argued that support for the evacuation does not remove the government's obligation to account for public funds spent on the exercise.

That support, it said, “cannot dispense with the equally important obligation of Government to account fully and transparently for the expenditure of public funds.”

The Caucus said it was therefore not appropriate to participate in a closed-door briefing on the evacuation while its formal request for the underlying expenditure records remained outstanding.

“The Minority Caucus on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament will not participate in the closed-door meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 16th September 2026, unless and until the Ministry provides the itemised account and supporting records requested,” it said.

The Minority has reiterated its call on the Foreign Ministry to disclose the full expenditure relating to the evacuation exercise.

It said it would continue to exercise its constitutional and parliamentary responsibility to demand transparency and accountability in the use of taxpayers' funds.

“That responsibility is owed not only to Parliament, but ultimately to the Ghanaian people whose resources are being expended,” the statement said.