The Minister-nominee for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has affirmed his willingness to undergo a second round of vetting by the Appointment Committee if deemed necessary.
In a Facebook post following the abrupt end of his vetting, which was cut short by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin due to a disagreement, Ablakwa stated, “If they want a second round of vetting, I am ready for them.”
Despite the sudden halt, the Minority Leader had already questioned him on several matters for several hours.
The vetting process was interrupted after a ruling by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, who suspended four MPs involved in a chaotic incident, which disrupted the composition of the Appointments Committee.
In the Facebook post, the North Tongu Member of Parliament said while he had made himself available, the committee, particularly the minority, chose to avoid him. “They had every opportunity when I appeared before them for vetting but they chose to run away,” he said, adding that during their eight years in power, they had failed to prosecute him, as they could find nothing against him.
Mr Ablakwa, who also serves as the chairman of the government’s Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL), defended his actions, stating that there was nothing wrong with opposing wrongdoing and advocating for public accountability. “It is not a crime for a Member of Parliament to patriotically and diligently seek the protection of public resources and state assets,” he remarked.
The MP emphasized his commitment to his constitutional oversight duties. He concluded by reaffirming his focus on President Mahama’s innovative reforms set to be implemented at the Foreign Ministry
