Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa Willing to Undergo Second Vetting Round if Necessary

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the nominee for Foreign Affairs Minister, has expressed his readiness to undergo a second round of vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee if required.

In a Facebook post, Mr. Ablakwa made it clear, “If they want a second round of vetting, I am ready for them,” following the unexpected suspension of his vetting process, which was triggered by a disagreement.

Before the suspension, the North Tongu MP had already faced prolonged questioning from the Minority Leader. The disruption in the vetting process occurred after Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, ruled to suspend four MPs involved in a recent altercation, affecting the composition of the Appointments Committee.

In his post, Mr. Ablakwa accused the Minority of deliberately avoiding his vetting, stating, “They had every opportunity when I appeared before them for vetting, but they chose to run away. They had every opportunity when they were in power for eight years to have me prosecuted, but they couldn’t find anything.”

Mr. Ablakwa, also the chairman of the government’s Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL), defended his strong stance on accountability, asserting that advocating for the protection of public resources is not a criminal act.

“It is not a crime for a Member of Parliament to patriotically and diligently seek the protection of public resources and state assets,” he said.

He concluded by emphasizing that those who stand for truth and justice will never be intimidated, adding, “I shall remain focused on President Mahama’s exciting reset innovations, which we are on the verge of implementing at the Foreign Ministry.”