Wode Maya Responds to Backlash Over IShowSpeed's Ghanaian Passport Controversy
- Wode Maya has finally spoken amid the backlash over the decision to grant American streamer IShowSpeed a Ghanaian passport
- The YouTuber, who personally requested the passport for IShowSpeed, shared a message for Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and the streamer
- Wode Maya's post came after the decision triggered a heated public debate and significant criticism of the Foreign Affairs Minister
Popular Ghanaian YouTuber Wode Maya has broken his silence amid the controversy surrounding the government’s decision to grant IShowSpeed a Ghanaian passport.
Source: Facebook
American streamer Darren Watkins Jnr, popularly known as IShowSpeed, visited Ghana on January 27, 2026, as part of his Speed Does Africa tour.
The livestreamed event started on December 29, 2025, and saw him visit multiple African countries, including Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Benin, Angola, Zambia, Eswatini, and Senegal.
After his Ghana trip, which brought significant global attention to the country, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced that he would be given a Ghanaian passport.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), he noted that Wode Maya, who played a part in organising the tour, asked him to grant Speed Ghanaian citizenship, and they had agreed.
“@wode_maya following our discussions and subsequent confirmation of the irrefutable ties of IShowSpeed to Ghana, I am pleased to inform you and our compatriots that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approved the issuance of a Ghanaian Passport to IShowSpeed,” he wrote on January 27.
The Twitter post shared by the Foreign Affairs Minister is below.
Okudzeto Ablakwa’s IShowSpeed decision stirs controversy
The minister’s announcement sparked mixed reactions on social media, as some Ghanaians approved of the decision while others described it as rushed and immature.
GhOne TV presenter Lily Mohammed shared the most viral take in a video that tagged the minister as ‘unserious’.
She said IShowSpeed had done nothing for the country and even accused him of disrespecting Ghanaian culture by performing a backflip into a bowl of jollof.
“Wonyɛ serious? Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, you were somebody that we had high expectations of. You shove a Ghanaian passport into the hands of somebody who comes, who is streaming, who is embarking on his own personal thing. What has he done for Ghana [other than] he’s come to sit on our jollof?" she wrote.
Wode Maya speaks amid IShowSpeed passport controversy
Amid the ongoing drama over Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa’s decision, Wode Maya, who proposed the idea to him, has broken his silence.
In a twee shared on January 29, he ignored the controversy and instead praised the Foreign Affairs Minister for agreeing to his request.
He also called on IShowSpeed to visit Ghana anytime to enjoy his new country.
“Thank You Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa for granting my request to honour our Ghanaian brother with a Ghanaian passport 🙏🏾Hey IShowSpeed, welcome home anytime without a visa!” he tweeted.
Wode Maya’s Twitter post on the IShowSpeed passport saga is below.
Source: Instagram
Wode Maya receives Ghanaian diplomatic passport
Previously, YEN.com.gh reported that Wode Maya received a diplomatic passport from the government of Ghana on November 2, 2025.
The globally renowned YouTuber was given the honour in recognition of his efforts in projecting Ghana and Africa in a positive light across the globe.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
