The Majority on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee has charged Deputy Ranking Member Nana Asafo‑Adjaye with launching a campaign of “character assassination” against Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. The accusations stem from the Minister’s refusal to grant a service passport to National Second Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Boakye, also known as Nana B.
During a press conference on Tuesday, October 13, the caucus argued that Nana B did not meet the qualifications for a service passport. Salaga South MP Zuwera Ibrahimah Mohammed cited a presidential directive that requires holders of diplomatic and service passports to return them, claiming the Minister’s strict compliance with this directive has sparked friction with the Deputy Ranking Member.
“The minister's strict compliance with the Presidential Directive, and refusal to be corrupted, must clearly be the reason for the consistent baseless unwarranted personal attacks and character assassination, clothed as Parliamentary Oversight,” Mohammed said. She warned that the Committee’s oversight mandate should not be used for personal vendettas.
The Majority also stressed that requests for favours from public officials must remain within legal bounds, noting that the Minister could not be expected to make an exception to the President’s directive. They invoked the principle that those seeking equity must come with clean hands, arguing that Asafo‑Adjaye could not criticize the Minister’s lawful decision.
In the same press conference, the Majority rejected Minority claims that the Ministry had failed to account for GH¢49.7 million spent on evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa.
The dispute highlights the tensions between parliamentary oversight and executive directives, with both sides warning against politicizing procedural matters. The outcome of this clash remains to be seen as the Committee continues its scrutiny of the Ministry’s operations.
