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Government Accountability Series: Minister for Foreign Affairs renders account on performance of Ministry
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by Honourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP) on Monday, September 15, 2025, took its turn at the Government Accountability Series to provide updates on the implementation of Ghana’s Foreign Policy.
The Minister highlighted achievements regarding scholarships, consular assistance, operations of Missions abroad, reforms put in place to enhance transparency and service delivery.
He announced that the Ministry secured over 1,500 scholarships for Ghanaians through its bilateral relations.
He added that in the quest for Ghana to become the educational hub in the sub-region, Ghana is offering 1000 scholarships to ECOWAS students in priority fields.
On the issue of Ghanaians who had to seek refuge in neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso due to the crisis in Gbinyiri, the Honourable Minister disclosed that 8000 had already returned from Côte d’Ivoire and Government was working with the relevant authorities in Burkina Faso to provide the needed consular assistance to facilitate their return.
The Minister announced the decision to open Consulates in Lisbon, Dublin, Massachusetts and Singapore to enhance Ghana’s diplomatic presence.
He also informed that the Embassy in Iran, which was temporarily closed would reopen on September 16,2025 and assured of the Ministry’s commitment to ensure the safety of the Staff of the Mission and other Ghanaian nationals in the country.
With regard to reforms on passport administration, the Minister informed that there was a Bill before Parliament to revise the current fees for passport.
Responding to questions from the media, he stressed that the arrangement with the United States of America to receive West African deportees was based on Pan-Africanism and not on financial considerations.
He also mentioned that the Chinese Government was committed in collaborating with Ghana to resolve the menace of illegal mining. Contrary to speculations, the Minister stated emphatically that past leaders of the country receive necessary courtesies.
He concluded by announcing Ghana’s participation in the upcoming United Nations General Assembly and indicated that His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama would deliver his statement on 25th September 2025.
He then reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to transparency by keeping the Ghanaian public informed.
The Ghana High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, is appealing to the public to help trace the relatives or next of kin of Apia Solomon, a Ghanaian national believed to be from Osu, Accra.
According to a public announcement by the High Commission, Mr. Solomon, born on March 6, 1960, in Accra, died on July 5, 2021, from cardiopulmonary failure.
He worked as a temporary civilian staff member at the National Defence College in Nigeria. His remains are currently being kept at the Nigerian Air Force Hospital morgue in Abuja, pending burial arrangements.
The High Commission says efforts to locate his relatives have so far been unsuccessful and is urging anyone with information about his family, friends or next of kin to come forward.
Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact the Ghana High Commission in Abuja.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Security consultant Richard Kumadoe has blamed what he describes as flawed recruitment and incomplete background checks for some of the problems facing the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI).
He has called on the leadership of the BNI to review the backgrounds of officers recruited during specific periods, particularly those who entered the agency under recent recruitment processes.
Speaking on the issue on TV3 yesterday, Mr Kumadoe alleged that some individuals were recruited into the intelligence agency without proper background checks and completed vetting.
“Certain categories of persons were dumped into the BNI, whose backgrounds were not checked, and whose vettings were not completed,” he stated.
He said some of the officers linked to the concerns appeared to have been recruited within the same period, making it necessary for the agency to examine the recruitment records and backgrounds of those who joined during that time.
Mr Kumadoe argued that the problems could be addressed by ensuring that recruitment procedures were properly followed and that all applicants underwent the required checks before being employed.
According to him, when the selection process is flawed, it can lead to problems within the institution.
He blamed the politicisation of security institutions, arguing that appointing people without the necessary intelligence experience and allowing political interests to influence recruitment could undermine their operations.
“When you have a selection procedure that was flawed because you politicised the place, brought in people to come and head the place when they have no business being there, they don’t know anything about being a BNI officer, they are not intelligence officers, and you flood the place with politicians and political artists, then you circumvent the standard procedure and you are going to have some of these problems,” he said.
Mr Kumadoe, however, defended the current leadership of the BNI, arguing that efforts to address longstanding problems within security institutions could bring such issues to light.
He said the leadership should be assessed in the context of the steps it is taking to improve the agency’s operations and uphold professional standards.
Drawing on his own experience in the intelligence field, he said the opportunity to serve under experienced officers had helped him develop the skills and integrity needed to contribute to national security.
By: Jacob Aggrey
