New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications team member Fiifi Boafo has called for Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to step aside while concerns over the accounting of funds used to evacuate Ghanaians are subjected to further scrutiny.
Boafo said the controversy surrounding the expenditure risked undermining public confidence in the minister and damaging Ghana’s reputation in its diplomatic engagements.
Speaking on TV3’s New Day, hosted by Roland Walker, he argued that Ablakwa’s responsibility to represent Ghana internationally made it necessary for the concerns about accountability to be addressed before he continued his diplomatic duties.
“I think that it’s long overdue the honourable minister for foreign affairs should not be representing Ghana outside the country at this point in time,” he said.
Boafo expressed concern that the controversy could affect how foreign officials and international organisations perceive the minister during engagements with him on behalf of Ghana.
“When Ablakwa is in Canada and is engaging people or international organisations on behalf of Ghanaians, the people who sit across the table with him will have at the back of their minds that the gentleman they are talking to is found in very serious issues in terms of accountability and his reputation is on the line,” he said.
He questioned whether the situation was consistent with the image Ghana wanted to project to the international community, particularly regarding transparency in the management of public funds.
“Is that the kind of image you want us to portray to the international community?” he asked.
The NPP communicator also defended the Minority’s demand for further scrutiny of the expenditure, arguing that its position should not be interpreted as a direct accusation of fraud against the Foreign Affairs Minister.
“They are not saying that the honourable minister has committed fraud. They are not accusing him of any wrongdoing. They are rather asking that there should be a further audit to establish the truth because some things do not appear to be right,” he said.
He maintained that allowing Ablakwa to step aside during the process would help address the concerns surrounding the expenditure and protect the credibility of Ghana’s diplomatic representation.
“There is every reason why, as a country, we must take our reputation seriously,” Boafo added.
The call comes amid questions over the accounting of funds used to evacuate Ghanaians, with the Minority seeking further scrutiny to establish the facts surrounding the expenditure.
Boafo’s demand reflects the opposition’s concerns about accountability and the potential reputational consequences of the controversy, although his comments do not establish any wrongdoing by the minister.
