Protesters want a line-by-line account of the money spent to fly 1,964 Ghanaians home from South Africa, and they want the Foreign Affairs Minister out.
Thousands of young people dressed in black and red marched through Accra on Monday to demand a full account of the GH¢49.72 million the government says it spent evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa.
The demonstration, named “YƐ GYE YƐ SIKA” — Twi for “we want our money” — was organised by the Youth Wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the main opposition party. Daily Guide Network reported that more than 10,000 people took part.
What the protesters want
At the centre of the protest is the cost of bringing home 1,964 Ghanaians during xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Organisers say the public has been given a total figure but not a breakdown.
Their demands are:
- A full itemised breakdown of the GH¢49.72 million, including what was paid for charter flights.
- An independent audit of the spending.
- The dismissal of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Placards carried on the march pressed the same points, including one reading “No More Speeches, Produce the Receipt” and another questioning a reported charter flight cost of US$750,000.
The route
Marchers set off from assembly points including the Accra Mall and the Tetteh Quarshie Roundabout. They moved towards the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then to Jubilee House, the seat of the presidency, where a petition was submitted.
Who showed up
Senior opposition figures joined the crowd. They included Samuel Abu Jinapor, Member of Parliament for Damongo, and Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, who was the party’s parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma North in the 2024 elections. NPP National Youth Organiser Abanga Fuseini was also present, alongside other party leaders.
Speaking to journalists, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie said: “Give the money you are amassing to the people so they can work with it.” She accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of mismanagement.
Jinapor also called on the Foreign Affairs Ministry to account for how the evacuation was funded.
Why it matters for Ghanaians abroad
For Ghanaians in the United States and elsewhere, the dispute touches a familiar question: what the state does, and what it spends, when citizens abroad are in danger. Evacuations are one of the clearest services a government provides to its diaspora, and the row is now less about whether the flights should have happened and more about what they cost.
As of the demonstration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Minister Ablakwa had not issued a public response to the petition. The protest organisers have not said what further action they will take if the breakdown and audit they are demanding are not produced.
