Majority accuses Asafo-Adjei of personal vendetta against Ablakwa over refusal to retain Nana B's service passport 

The Majority Caucus in Parliament has accused the Bosome Freho MP and Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, of pursuing a personal agenda against Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

The accusation follows criticism of the minister over Ghana’s evacuation of citizens from South Africa and other matters concerning his handling of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Addressing a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday, October 13, Salaga South MP Hajia Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimah alleged that Asafo-Adjei and the immediate past New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B, had pressured Ablakwa to exempt the latter from a presidential directive requiring former officeholders to surrender their service and diplomatic passports.

She alleged that the two sought to have Nana B retain his service passport despite the directive issued by President John Dramani Mahama.

“The Foreign Minister consistently refused to grant the inappropriate and illegal request from Honourable Asafo-Adjei and Henry Nana Boakye,” Hajia Zuwera said.

She further claimed that Nana B, who served as NPP National Organiser and Board Chairman of the National Food Buffer Stock Company, did not qualify for a service passport in the first place.

According to the Salaga South MP, Ablakwa’s refusal to grant the alleged request may explain what she described as persistent personal attacks on the minister by Asafo-Adjei, which she said were being presented as parliamentary oversight.

She stressed that although the Foreign Affairs Committee has a mandate to scrutinise the ministry, that responsibility should not be used to pursue personal grievances.

“We are not allowed to clothe our responsibility on a personal vendetta, personal agenda,” she said.

The MP urged Asafo-Adjei to approach his oversight responsibilities with integrity, arguing that the minister should be commended rather than criticised if he had adhered to the presidential directive and the applicable rules.