The Majority in Parliament has rejected calls by the Minority for the removal of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, describing the demand as unmeritorious and unfounded.
Chairman of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, said concerns raised by the Minority over the temporary halt in certain immigrant visa processing and other diplomatic issues do not justify the Minister’s dismissal.
Speaking to the media, Mr Vanderpuije explained that the decision by the United States to suspend aspects of its immigrant visa processes is an independent policy action taken by the US government and cannot be attributed to any failure on the part of Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.
“The United States has its own immigration laws and policies. Ghana can only operate within those frameworks. It is therefore unfair to hold our Foreign Affairs Minister responsible for decisions taken by a foreign government,” he stated.
He added that the Minister’s ongoing efforts to attract foreign investment and promote Ghana’s interests abroad should not be conflated with matters relating to US visa policies, which are beyond Ghana’s direct control.
According to Mr Vanderpuije, rather than demanding the Minister’s removal, attention should be directed at strengthening diplomatic engagement with the United States to explore ways of expanding opportunities for Ghanaians within existing immigration frameworks.
“The real question should be how Ghana can work constructively with the US to address these challenges and expand opportunities for our citizens,” he stressed.
The Minority has accused the Foreign Affairs Minister of incompetence in managing diplomatic relations, citing the visa issue as evidence. However, the Majority maintains that such claims lack merit and risk undermining Ghana’s broader foreign policy objectives.
The debate comes amid growing public concern over access to immigrant visas and the overall state of Ghana–US diplomatic relations.
