Ghanaian Foreign Ministry administrative developments

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has initiated efforts to improve the visa application experience for Ghanaian citizens. Following an inspection of over 20 embassies and visa application centres, including the VFS Global centre in Accra, the Minister addressed public concerns regarding long wait times and poor facility conditions. Ablakwa stated that while diplomatic missions hold the authority over visa eligibility, they must take steps to “safeguard the dignity and welfare of applicants.”

Concurrently, the Ministry has faced political friction regarding the issuance of official travel documents. Members of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee have clashed following the Minister’s refusal to issue a service passport to a high-ranking official of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The Majority caucus defended the decision, asserting that the Minister was adhering to a presidential directive requiring the return of diplomatic and service passports, and accused critics of attempting to use parliamentary oversight for “character assassination.”

In response to these tensions, NPP National Vice Chairman Henry Nana Boakye, also known as Nana B, denied allegations that he sought special favors to retain a service passport. Boakye clarified that his request was intended to facilitate the transfer of existing visas from his surrendered service passport to an ordinary passport.

The passport dispute has become intertwined with a debate over the GH¢49.72 million expenditure used to evacuate 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa. While the Majority caucus maintains that “not a cedi is missing” and that the Ministry provided comprehensive documentation, including evacuee registers and receipts, the Minority continues to demand an audit and greater accountability regarding the operation’s costs.