Ablakwa Vetting: 5 Key Highlights From The Vetting Of The Minister-Designate For Foreign Affairs

The Minister-Designate for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has appeared before the Appointments Committee. YEN.com.gh looks at five key highlights from his vetting.

The Minister-Designate for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa spent about six hours before the Appointments Committee of Parliament.

While a large amount of time was spent on his personal life, the sitting began with questions relating to international diplomacy and Ghana's management of foreign engagements.

5 highlights from Ablakwa's vetting

Stance on Isreal-Palestine conflict

Speaking on some aspects of Ghana's foreign policy on the conflict between Israel and Palestine, Ablakwa said Ghana would be committed to a two-state solution as resolved by the UN. He also stressed the Mahama administration would not align with hardliners on either side of the conflict.

"We will seek to be good friends to all of these countries...We take the view that the humanitarian crises there is unconscionable and totally unacceptable.”

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Focus on Sahelian states

Ablakwa highlighted the importance of Ghana maintaining strong diplomatic ties with the Sahelian States. Mahama has notably appointed a special envoy to the Sahel.

He described them as good neighbours with shared strategic interests despite some of their political instability that has seen military takeovers in some cases.

Ablakwa said Ghana's strategic interest was to foster good relationships with the Sahelian States, particularly given the region's increasing importance in West African politics and security.

“It’s in Ghana’s strategic interest to relate well with the Sahelian States."

Sale of diplomatic assets

Ablakwa assured Ghanaians that no diplomatic property will be sold under his tenure if approved by Parliament.

Addressing concerns over the sale and mismanagement of Ghana’s diplomatic assets abroad, Ablakwa reaffirmed his commitment to protecting state properties during his vetting before the Appointments Committee.

He also noted that he was championing the Protection of State Assets Bill.

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“I make this pledge; under my watch, no diplomatic asset will be sold. Rather, they will be safeguarded."

Push for travel policy

The Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs vowed to push for the formulation of a comprehensive presidential travel policy to regulate official trips by Ghana’s Head of State.

Ablakwa said the presidential travel policy could set a new precedent for transparency and accountability in presidential travel.

“If you take the US, when the President uses the presidential jet (Air Force One) for private trips, he is made to reimburse the state.”

Improving passport acquisition

Ablakwa outlined plans to modernise the passport acquisition process in Ghana.

He proposed that Ghana Card holders should be able to apply for passports without having to visit a passport application centre physically.

"There are too many complaints about how difficult it is to get passports and to get them in good time. I have been going through some briefs and I have noticed that we have a backlog of over 70,000 passports that have not been collected."

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Ablakwa also stressed the need to eliminate the requirement for applicants to return to the passport office to collect their passports, proposing that courier services be engaged to deliver passports directly to applicants' homes or offices

Source: YEN.com.gh