GH¢49.7m EVACUATION BILL: MAJORITY DEFENDS SPENDING, WELCOMES AUDIT

The Caucus said the detailed expenditure records submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were the first of their kind, demonstrating a commitment to openness and transparency. It, therefore, backed a request to the Auditor-General to carry out a comprehensive and independent audit of evacuation exercises undertaken from 2017, including those involving Ghanaian nationals in Ukraine, Sudan and South Africa, as well as the COVID-19 evacuation since 2020. Comprehensive report The Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, who announced the position of the Caucus at a press conference, said the ministry submitted a comprehensive report on September 18 this year, detailing the evacuees and the financial transactions associated with the exercise. “The report contained a list of all 1,964 evacuees, including their names, dates of birth, passport numbers, professions, contact details, amounts received and signatures. He said the particulars of minors were also captured, with the required attestations provided by their parents or legal guardians. Aside from that, Dr Vanderpuije said the ministry also submitted receipts and supporting documents covering chartered flights, commercial airline tickets, transportation, feeding, accommodation and other logistical arrangements undertaken by Ghana’s High Commission in South Africa. Documentation He said the documentation included evidence of a GH¢16 million donation by Mr Ibrahim Mahama of Engineers and Planners, as well as correspondence and letters of appreciation acknowledging the contribution. “The comprehensiveness and meticulous detail of these records underscore the Ministry’s commitment to transparency, financial probity and parliamentary accountability,” he stated. “The Majority Caucus, having had the benefit of a careful and thorough examination of the report submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, can state with the utmost conviction and without the slightest equivocation that the Ministry has rendered an exceptionally comprehensive, impeccable and credible account of the evacuation exercise,” he added. Credit: Graphic.com.gh