The Minority in Parliament is demanding compensation for passport applicants affected by the temporary closure of Ghana’s Embassy in Washington DC.
Addressing the press on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, the caucus also demanded a comprehensive consular report detailing who authorised the embassy’s closure and questioning the legal basis for the decision.
They stated that the incident caused considerable inconvenience to applicants, with some left stranded, and emphasized that offering compensation would help restore trust and ensure continued confidence in the embassy’s services.
The Minority also demanded for an audit of passport programs among other things.
“We are by this demanding the following; a public audit of passport programs costs, supply chain and backlog data within 14 days. A consular report detailing who authorized the Washington shutdown and what legal basis and how affected citizens will be compensated. It’s a compensation that we are mostly interested in,” the group said.
They further criticized Ablakwa for his handling of these matters, arguing that these decisions, along with others, have damaged the country’s diplomatic image.
They expressed the view that the Foreign Minister lacks the tact expected of a diplomat.
“These episodes expose the alarming pattern of an incompetent, inexperienced foreign minister who does not understand diplomacy and too often governs by motions and headlines rather than evidence or counsel. He is enabled by the President Mahama administration, incapable of the steady internal scrutiny that protects citizens and safeguards the interest of the state’s credibility,” they added.
The embassy’s closure was the result of alleged corrupt practices uncovered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The consulate has since been reopened.
MAG/EB
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