Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Berates Ablakwa

Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has incurred the wrath of the majority side in Parliament over the alleged inflated purchase of a building in Oslo, Norway to be used as Ghana Embassy.

Mr. Ablakwa, who is also a ranking member for the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament claims that the building has been purchased at a cost of $12.1 million instead of $3.5million.

It is in this regard that the majority in Parliament has launched a scathing attack on Okudzeto Ablakwa.

He said the Minority was considering going to the Special Prosecutor or the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to open a probe into the controversy surrounding the purchased building.

In his reaction, however, the Chairman for the Foreign Affairs Committee Annor Donpreh dismissed the claims as untenable, describing the North Tongu MP as nuisance to the committee.

“I am just surprised at the ranking member's attitude,” he decried, warning that he would find it difficult working with the former deputy minister under the Mahama administration.

“For some time now, we have worked with him closely, we have collaborated with him but he's beginning to show bad faith in terms of his interaction with us and then quickly running to the media with the least information he gets,” Mr Donpreh stated.

He stressed: “He's wasting everybody's time and we all get worried… I was very disappointed in him. Now, I am wondering how we are going to work together as a committee.”

Back to the controversies surrounding the purchase of the building, the Minority say is 100-year-old, Mr Donpreh said when the Foreign Affairs Committee spotted some challenges with the proposed purchase of the building earmarked for Ghana embassy in Oslo, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway was written to for clarity which she did with abundance of details.

“Now if she had a bad motive why would she provide all those details to us?” he quizzed.

Back and forth

Mrs Ayorkor Botchway in a statement said the property is yet to be purchased and that discussions are still underway after the Minority accused her of inflating the figures of the property.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not signed any agreement to purchase the said properties; that is the Chancery and the Ambassador's Residence,” said Mrs Botchway.

Mr Ablakwa, however, maintained that the purchase was made.

“I don't believe that the seller is Father Christmas. So, we want to see the response. Maybe the seller is so forgiving that he will say ok we have forgiven you, we walk out and go and sin no more. We will not charge you for all the cost incurred.”

---Daily Guide