Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has strongly denied claims of politically motivated hiring at Ghana’s Washington DC embassy, asserting that ongoing reforms are not about creating “jobs for the boys.”
This statement comes in the wake of an alleged fraud scheme involving local staff, including Fred Kwarteng, which led to a temporary closure of the embassy.
Ablakwa took to his X account on May 30, 2025, to address public speculation, assuring that no new personnel have been brought in to replace staff impacted by the investigation.
He underscored the ministry’s existing capacity, stating, they have an adequate stock of distinguished and astute diplomats to lead ongoing reforms.
Ablakwa emphasised that the comprehensive “reset agenda,” aimed at enhancing the reputation of Ghana’s diplomatic missions, is a serious and necessary endeavour.
He firmly rejected any attempts to mischaracterise it as a patronage exercise.
The embassy, which had been closed since May 26, 2025, in connection with the probe, resumed operations on May 29, 2025.
Read post by the foreign minister below
From the briefing I have received, our reopened embassy in Washington DC issued over 800 visas yesterday on the first day of resumption.
I expect this level of efficiency, professionalism and integrity to continue. Let me commend our fresh team of seasoned diplomats for the great job so far in implementing our systems overhaul and institutional fumigation.
This is testament that Ghanaian diplomats excel when provided with the right ecosystem and leadership.
Contrary to false and baseless claims, there have been no new recruitments to replace lost jobs in our Washington embassy, we have an adequate stock of distinguished and astute diplomats to lead ongoing reforms, this patriotic consequential reset agenda aimed at restoring the image of our diplomatic missions abroad cannot be reduced to “jobs for the boys.”
Meanwhile, it is worth announcing that a recently discovered 2023 unauthorized, opaque and illegal agreement between Fred Kwarteng and a top official at the Washington Embassy has been declared a nullity.
It will no longer be respected (more on this plus frozen accounts and other remedial actions will be presented in greater detail when I address Parliament next week).
For God and Country
From the briefing I have received, our reopened embassy in Washington DC issued over 800 visas yesterday on the first day of resumption.
I expect this level of efficiency, professionalism and integrity to continue.
Let me commend our fresh team of seasoned diplomats for the…
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) May 30, 2025
VPO/EB
Meanwhile, here’s why Bright Simons has vowed to fight Ibrahim Mahama’s GH¢10 million defamation lawsuit