Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has defended the government’s decision to pay children evacuated from South Africa the same Ghc5,000 reintegration allowance given to adults, saying the policy was intended to support families rebuilding their lives.
He said the decision was taken on President John Mahama’s instructions to ensure that every evacuee received the same amount, regardless of age.
Speaking on JoyNews on October 17, 2026, Ablakwa said the evacuees had fled South Africa under traumatic circumstances, leaving behind their jobs, assets and savings.
“These are our compatriots who had been suddenly forced to flee for their lives, for their safety. They left everything behind, their jobs, their assets, their savings,” he said.
He explained that the government considered the difficulties families would face after returning to Ghana, including finding accommodation, securing school placements for their children and meeting basic needs.
“The President and his government said that, look, let us not just bring them home and leave them to their fate,” he said.
According to Ablakwa, the reintegration allowance was introduced as additional support beyond the transportation assistance normally provided during evacuation exercises.
He said the government deliberately extended the payment to children to avoid discrimination based on age.
“So, in order not to discriminate, is there a cutoff? Will you leave out babies or will you leave out this 50-year-old minor? We said every human being, everybody,” he said.
Ablakwa’s explanation comes amid questions from the Minority over the Ghc49.7 million expenditure on the evacuation, including concerns about payments recorded for children.
The minister maintained that the policy had been publicly announced and insisted that the allowances were issued under the same arrangement for all evacuees.
He said the government’s decision was informed by the need to help affected families recover from the circumstances that forced them to leave South Africa.
