The Minority Caucus in Parliament says they will initiate a vote of censure against Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa if he fails to resign over concerns surrounding the expenditure on the recent evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, October 27, the Minority insisted that while accountability must not be sacrificed, the minister should take full responsibility and resign.
Their threat follows a call for an independent investigation into the expenditure of GH¢49.7 million reportedly used for the evacuation exercise.
To the minority, a comprehensive audit of the evacuation exercise by an internationally reputable accounting firm is required to establish how the funds were spent and to reconcile payment records with the amounts received by beneficiaries.
According to the caucus, should the Minister refuse to resign, President John Dramani Mahama must invoke his constitutional authority and terminate his appointment.
“We demand a comprehensive audit of the entire evacuation exercise by an internationally reputable accounting firm to establish how the GH¢49.7 million was spent and reconcile the payment records with the amounts actually received by beneficiaries.
“We call on the Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to resign immediately and accept political responsibility for the handling of the exercise, given the serious questions surrounding the expenditure under his Ministry,” the statement noted.
“Should the Minister refuse to resign, we call on President John Dramani Mahama to terminate his appointment in accordance with Article 81(a) of the 1992 Constitution. The ethical standards established for political appointees must apply in practice, not merely in principle,” it added.
The Minority warned that if the Minister remains in office, it would consider triggering parliamentary processes for a vote of censure.
“If the Minister remains in office, the Minority will consider initiating proceedings for a vote of censure under Article 82 of the Constitution and Order 138 of Parliament’s Standing Orders,” the caucus declared.
The group also referenced Section 2.1(j) of President Mahama’s 2025 Code of Conduct and Ethics for Political Appointees, arguing that it was relevant to questions of political responsibility where significant failure, corruption or breach of public trust is established.
The Minority stressed that the matter should not be viewed through a partisan lens but rather as an issue of public accountability.
“GH¢49.7 million is public money. Ghanaians deserve answers,” the caucus said, adding that the government must ensure an independent investigation, make relevant records available to the appropriate authorities, and address any proven misconduct in accordance with the law.
It maintained that it would continue to demand answers on behalf of Ghanaians, insisting that “accountability is not optional” and that public trust must be protected.
The caucus used the medium to reject claims that it had paid or influenced evacuees to make adverse allegations against the government.
