Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has thanked his colleague National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawmakers who approved his nominations on Tuesday.
The Majority side of the House approved him but the minority abstained from it after opposing his nomination
In a post on his X page, the North Tongu legislator said “Glory be to God for my successful parliamentary approval last night, which paves the way for me to become Ghana’s next Foreign Minister. I wish to express my sincerest gratitude to my formidable and patriotic NDC colleagues in Parliament. My deepest appreciation to the good people of Ghana and my family for your kind prayers and support. Now, let’s make President Mahama and Ghana proud. For God and Country. Ghana First.”
During proceedings, the Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin reiterated the disapproval of members of his side of the House to the nomination of Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs.
He said their stance is based on the failure of the North Tongu MP to submit relevant documents requested by the Committee in respect of his earnings and assets.
“Mr Speaker the nominee has submitted only two out of nine documents requested by the Committee. We believe that he who comes to equity must come with equity. He is on record as pursuing public servants and people in the political class and questioning their sources of income. If you are holding people’s feet to the fire, demanding transparency and accountability, it means that you yourself, when subjected to it, you will oblige,” he said.
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Afenyo-Markin added that, “he has been questioning people’s travel, people’s birth certificates. I will not pursue him and frustrate his political progress. As a matter of principle, we are opposed to him for the inconsistency. We the Minority have decided to wash our hands off his approval. Every sin at the Airport Hills, we are not part of the sins that he has committed. All the Airport Hills sins are on you. Carry your own cross. If he repents, we will welcome him ‘Awaawaa atoo’”
Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa is known to have used his Parliamentary Oversight crusade to expose what he termed “state capture” by appointees of the Akufo-Addo administration.
President Akufo-Addo himself suffered extensively from Ablakwa’s expose of his presidential travels. The North Tongu MP showed evidence of the huge cost incurred by the former president’s preference for private jets to travel abroad instead of using the presidential jet.
Ablakwa further fought the decision by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to sell some of its hotels to the former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong. He also exposed what he termed suspicious transactions engaged in by a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral, Rev Kusi Boateng.
