Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has taken a swipe at President Akufo-Addo following his recent appointment of new Ambassadors and High Commissioners.
The lawmaker said there was a need for Ghanaians to be concerned about the financial implications for the struggling economy.
He said it was not proper for the President to appoint these High Commissioners and Ambassadors with a few months until the end of his term.
Mr. Ablakwa said that in some of the destinations where the diplomatic envoys have been appointed, it takes more than four months for them to receive their accreditation to commence diplomatic duties.
For this reason, the MP says “We must also be concerned about the financial implications for our struggling economy. It ought to be noted that as these diplomats wait for their host accreditations and ponder over their fate when the next President takes over in a few months, taxpayers will nonetheless have to immediately assume the huge financial burden of catering for the newly appointed envoys.
He continued “President Akufo-Addo’s midnight ambassadorial appointments come at a time Ghana’s foreign service staff are struggling with worsening conditions of service, delayed salaries, rent arrears, inadequate residential accommodation and lack of a consular affairs budget.
The harrowing plight of Ghanaian students abroad on government scholarship who continue to agitate for government assistance as Ghana’s image in the comity of nations loses its lustre cannot be glossed over.
These are the diplomatic matters requiring urgent presidential attention not appointing new ambassadors/high commissioners who may not get to be accredited before the President hands over, neither is this the time to be conferring nepotistic diplomatic titles on family members.”
Read the full statement below
It is very rare for any outgoing lame-duck President to be appointing Ambassadors and High Commissioners with barely 6 months to leave office.
In most of the destinations these diplomatic envoys are being sent to, it typically takes more than 4 months to receive full accreditation to commence diplomatic duties.
We also know that per our long-held traditions, Ghana’s next President will exercise his authority under Article 74 of the 1992 Constitution to appoint new Ambassadors and High Commissioners — so exactly how necessary is President Akufo-Addo’s latest mystery conduct?
It appears to me that only the Ambassador-at-large, Nana Bediatuo Asante, benefits from these rather belated appointments since he wouldn’t require any host nation accreditation to be at large. It’s pretty obvious Bediatuo wants to leave government with an additional title of His Excellency, so his cousin the President has obliged him.
We must also be concerned about the financial implications for our struggling economy. It ought to be noted that as these diplomats wait for their host accreditations and ponder over their fate when the next President takes over in a few months, taxpayers will nonetheless have to immediately assume the huge financial burden of catering for the newly appointed envoys.
President Akufo-Addo’s midnight ambassadorial appointments come at a time Ghana’s foreign service staff are struggling with worsening conditions of service, delayed salaries, rent arrears, inadequate residential accommodation and lack of a consular affairs budget.
The harrowing plight of Ghanaian students abroad on government scholarship who continue to agitate for government assistance as Ghana’s image in the comity of nations loses its lustre cannot be glossed over.
These are the diplomatic matters requiring urgent presidential attention not appointing new ambassadors/high commissioners who may not get to be accredited before the President hands over, neither is this the time to be conferring nepotistic diplomatic titles on family members.
President Akufo-Addo must reconsider his priorities.
By: Rainbowradiooine.com/Ghana
