The Ghana High Commission in Pretoria has admitted clerical errors in the records of 15 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa following revelations of discrepancies in official data submitted to Parliament by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The admission follows a JoyNews investigation that uncovered apparently impossible dates of birth in the evacuation records, raising questions about the accuracy of documentation relating to the GH¢49.72 million government-supported exercise.
In a statement dated October 19, 2026, the High Commission explained that dates initially interpreted as future birth dates were actually passport expiry dates mistakenly entered during the transcription of passport information.
Among the discrepancies identified were records suggesting that Precious Sekyiwaa was born in 2034 and James Akoto Baffour in 2036.
The Mission acknowledged responsibility for the errors but maintained that they affected only 15 of the 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated.
“The High Commission takes responsibility for the minor clerical errors which affects only 15 individuals out of the 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated,” the statement said.
According to the Mission, the discrepancies arose during an emergency evacuation exercise conducted under difficult circumstances.
It stressed that all evacuees underwent the required identification, documentation and departure procedures before leaving South Africa.
The High Commission further insisted that the errors did not invalidate the identities of the affected individuals or their eligibility for the approved reintegration and transportation allowances.
Following a verification exercise, the Mission provided corrected records for the 15 individuals.
James Akoto Baffour’s actual date of birth was confirmed as December 26, 2009, while May 11, 2036, represented his passport expiry date.
Similarly, Precious Sekyiwaa was confirmed to have been born on May 2, 1983, with her passport scheduled to expire on August 10, 2034.
Other affected individuals included Philip Oduro, Victoria Eduaquah, Prince Obeng Boateng, Ebenezer Losu, Akua Brifoh, Philimon Opoku Nsiah, Rebecca Agyiwaa Opoku, Emmanuel Ampomah, Rose Pokua, Thomas Nkrumah, Rita Acouah, Rashid Abubakar and David Botwey.
The Mission said an amended list containing the corrected information had been submitted to facilitate updates to the official records.
GH¢49.72 Million Evacuation Expenditure
The admission comes amid public scrutiny of the GH¢49.72 million spent on evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa following concerns over xenophobic attacks and threats against foreign nationals.
The evacuation exercise, which commenced on May 27 and ended on September 4, 2026, resulted in the return of 1,964 Ghanaians.
According to expenditure figures presented by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, GH¢38.84 million was spent on chartered flights, commercial airline tickets, ground transportation, feeding, accommodation and medical care.
An additional GH¢10.80 million covered reintegration and transportation allowances, while GH¢84,274 was used to repatriate the remains of two Ghanaians.
The government contributed GH¢33.72 million towards the exercise, while Engineers and Planners, a company owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama, provided GH¢16 million.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has since submitted a report to Parliament detailing the evacuation exercise and the identities of more than 1,900 beneficiaries.
Mr. Ablakwa has also invited the Auditor-General to undertake an audit of evacuation exercises conducted by the Ministry since 2017 as part of efforts to promote transparency and accountability.
The High Commission maintained that the identified discrepancies should not be interpreted as evidence that the affected individuals were fictitious or had not participated in the evacuation.
It also clarified that six members of the Jibril family, comprising a mother and five children, travelled using Emergency Travel Certificates.
While acknowledging the media’s role in promoting accountability, the Mission urged journalists and the public to verify discrepancies with official sources before drawing conclusions.
“Fundamentally, we are proud of our efforts and sacrifices to save the lives of Ghanaians and bring them home safely,” the statement said.
The High Commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and indicated its readiness to provide further clarification on the corrected evacuation records.
