Wednesday, 18 September

Foreign ministry forced to invite diplomats to partisan campaign – Ablakwa

Politics
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has accused the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government of abusing incumbency and compromising Ghana's diplomatic integrity by allegedly using the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to invite diplomats to a partisan campaign event.

In a Facebook post, Mr. Ablakwa claimed that an intercepted diplomatic letter revealed "gross abuse of incumbency, utter misuse of Ghana’s Foreign Ministry, and blatant disregard for diplomatic protocols" by the current administration.

He criticised government's approach, stating: "No country misdirects its Foreign Ministry to invite top diplomats to a partisan campaign event."

Mr. Ablakwa expressed concern that this is the first time in Ghana’s history that the Foreign Ministry has been "forced to invite heads of diplomatic missions and honorary consulates to a partisan campaign event."

He argued that the Bawumia campaign team should have directly invited diplomats to the event, scheduled for tomorrow, without involving the Foreign Ministry.

He further questioned the precedent being set, asking: "Is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration therefore suggesting that the NDC, CPP, or any other party or presidential campaign can now ask them to organise diplomats for them?"

According to Mr. Ablakwa, the decision has sparked discontent among the diplomatic community.

"As could be expected, a considerable number of diplomats have expressed strong disappointment about the desecration of Ghana’s Foreign Ministry which hitherto was held in very high esteem," he noted.

The North Tongu MP called on both serving and retired senior Ghanaian diplomats to "rise up and resist this condemnable debasement of our Foreign Ministry."

He added: "Ghana truly needs a reset."

 

Source: classfmonline.com