SA Evacuation Controversy: Suspected fake signatures raise question over GHS10.8m in allowances

Fresh questions have emerged over Ghana’s GH¢49.72 million evacuation exercise from South Africa, following discrepancies in payment records for GH¢10.8 million in reintegration and transportation allowances. JoyNews Research has identified duplicate names, missing signatures, inconsistencies in beneficiary records, and payments that some evacuees reportedly did not receive. The findings have renewed scrutiny of the GH¢5,000 reintegration grant and GH¢500 transport allowance reportedly paid to each of the 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated following xenophobic attacks in South Africa. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has maintained that all evacuees received their allowances, while the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria has acknowledged clerical errors affecting 15 individuals’ records, explaining that passport expiry dates were mistakenly recorded as dates of birth. With questions about suspected irregularities and the supporting documentation still being raised, attention is turning to how the discrepancies can be reconciled and whether further independent scrutiny is needed to establish a clear account of the expenditure. #NewsDesk