The Youth Wing of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on President John Dramani Mahama to dismiss the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, over alleged financial irregularities in the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa and claims of the sale of diplomatic and service passports.
The party said the allegations raised serious questions about the management of public funds and sensitive state documents, and required independent investigations.
"The public money belongs to the people, so do the official documents of the republic.
The ministers hold them in trust, and when their trust is abused, it is the people who must rise and demand accountability," the National Youth Organiser, Abanga Fuseini Yakubu, said at a press conference at the NPP headquarters in Accra last Thursday, ahead of the party's planned Yɛyɛ Sika Demo.
Sports Ministry
Mr Yakubu also called for the resignation of the Minister of Sports and Reccreation, Kofi Iddie Adams over alleged visa-related scandals and developments at the National Sports Authority, citing the resignation of its CEO, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah.
He maintained that public officials must account for their decisions and use of public resources.
Evacuation costs
Mr Yakubu asked the Attorney-General and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate the minister and other culpable officials, prosecute them and recover any lost public funds.
He questioned the reported $49.72 million spent on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians, citing documents the parliamentary Minority obtained through a right-to-information request.
The Minority, he said, had identified over $16.4 million requiring explanation, including payment records, allowances, flight documentation and possible duplicate entries.
He argued that the three chartered flights should have cost not more than $900,000 at about $300,000 each, or about $400,000 each with emergency charges.
He alleged one aircraft cost $750,000 and questioned the lack of invoices and contracts for the $27.1 million reportedly spent on charters.
"Where are the receipts? Where are the invoices?
Where is the contract?
Who negotiated the price?
Who was the intermediary and how much did he take?" he asked.
He also said passenger records showed only about 900 people on the three flights, and challenged the minister to provide manifests showing how every evacuee was transported.
He cited reports that some evacuees received less money than claimed, and allegations that the Ghana High Commission in Victoria discouraged them from speaking to the media.
He demanded publication of airline invoices, charter contracts, proof of payment and intermediaries' identities, plus an independent audit by a reputable firm.
Mr Yakubu said diplomatic and service passports should go only to those qualified under the law.
He recalled that the ministry cancelled 701 such passports in May 2025 after former office holders failed to return them.
He said the sale allegations needed immediate investigation, warning of possible misuse in cross-border crime and damage to Ghana's reputation.
He also questioned how access to records is controlled, after the biodata page of a surrendered service passport was shown at a partisan press briefing.
He demanded a list of all such passports issued since January 2025, with holders' qualifying positions and approving authorities, and called for cancellation of improperly issued ones and prosecution of those who sold, bought or profited from them.
