TEMA, Ghana, 29th October: The Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has defended Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa against allegations of financial irregularities in the evacuation of Ghanaian nationals from South Africa, insisting that the minister has done nothing wrong.
Mr. Koomson believes the attacks on Mr. Ablakwa by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are baseless and may be linked to the minister’s previous disclosures about the alleged extravagant lifestyle of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the use of public funds during the NPP administration.
“I don’t know what Ablakwa has done to the NPP. His only sin was tracking Akufo-Addo’s extravagant lifestyle of renting a private jet with the taxpayers’ money, and nobody in the NPP could challenge any of the figures he brought out,” he said.
His comments follow calls by the Minority in Parliament, led by its Ranking Member, Samuel Abu Jinapor, for Mr. Ablakwa to resign or be dismissed over alleged financial discrepancies in the evacuation exercise.
The Minority has alleged that more than GH¢16 million remains unaccounted for out of the GH¢49.72 million reportedly spent on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa between May 27 and September 4, 2026.
Mr. Ablakwa, however, has maintained that he and his ministry did nothing wrong in handling the exercise.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Adekyee Mu Nsem programme on Thursday, October 29, Mr. Koomson said he did not believe the Foreign Affairs Minister was capable of stealing public funds, citing what he described as the minister’s track record of patriotism and commitment to Ghana’s development.
“Looking at Ablakwa’s track record, he is nationalistic and concerned about how this country will grow,” he said.
Abraham Koomson links attacks to SSNIT Hotels controversy
Mr. Koomson also suggested that the NPP’s opposition to Mr. Ablakwa could partly stem from his leading role in resisting the proposed sale of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) hotels in 2024.
He recalled receiving a telephone call from Mr. Ablakwa at about 9:30 p.m. in June 2024, which he said helped workers mobilise against the proposed transaction.
According to him, organised labour was concerned about the proposed sale but lacked the financial resources and organisational capacity to mount an effective campaign until Mr. Ablakwa provided an opportunity for workers to publicly express their opposition.
“I felt sad because we realised Akufo-Addo wanted to sell the SSNIT Hotels, but we lacked the capacity as a workers’ organisation to fight it.
“I even suspected that they had infiltrated our ranks and compromised some of our colleagues, so some were not bothered. Those of us who were so worried and concerned did not have the resources, because to even call a press conference, you need money.
“We wanted to issue a statement just like that, and fortunately, at 9:30 p.m., when I was asleep, Ablakwa’s call came, which gave some of us the opportunity to speak up to oppose the sale,” he recalled.
Mr. Koomson said organised labour subsequently planned a demonstration at the Presidency to protest the proposed sale but encountered tear gas during the action.
He maintained that the workers remained resolute in their opposition, crediting Mr. Ablakwa’s leadership and advocacy with helping to prevent the transaction from proceeding.
The GFL Secretary-General further claimed that the then President Akufo-Addo was unhappy with the workers’ resistance, questioning why the NPP government would seek to sell hotels linked to workers’ social security contributions.
Abrahan Koomson says evacuation errors could be typographical
Turning to the allegations surrounding the South Africa evacuation, Mr. Koomson argued that any discrepancies identified in the documentation could have resulted from typographical errors or the urgency of the operation, rather than deliberate wrongdoing.
He said the evacuation took place amid reports of xenophobic attacks and mistreatment of Ghanaians in South Africa, creating pressure to bring the affected nationals home as quickly as possible.
Mr. Koomson also argued that the minister should not be personally blamed for every alleged error in the paperwork, suggesting that Mr. Ablakwa would not have been directly responsible for completing all the forms involved in the exercise.
“It could be typo errors. The way these people were treating our people over there, and the hurry to get them out of there, some of these things can happen. Ablakwa will not be directly involved in the form-filling to warrant the attacks he is receiving from the NPP.
“All we want is results, and Ablakwa gave us the results,” he said.
Mr. Koomson’s defence comes amid growing political debate over the cost and accountability of the evacuation exercise, with the Minority demanding answers over the alleged financial discrepancies while the Foreign Affairs Ministry maintains that the process was properly handled.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh (#RomeoWrites✍️)