Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., reopens today, May 29, after a temporary closure aimed at addressing corruption and implementing service reforms and reset.
The move has received strong backing from the majority National Democratic Congress (NDC) members of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, who lauded the Minister for Foreign Affairs’ decisive action.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, May 28, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, emphasized the necessity of the closure to tackle “frontline activities and corrupt practices” that had reportedly infiltrated the mission.
“The reasons for which the closure became necessary are known to all of us. The Minister has followed information from the Embassy concerning frontline activities, corrupt practices, and made that decision to close the Embassy to ensure that we reset activities… to the highest professional levels,” Vanderpuije stated.
He hailed the reopening as “good news for all of us,” stressing the importance of not condoning corruption. “We must not, and I say again, we must not, as Ghanaians, when we see corruption… condone it. We support the Minister for all the actions that he has taken,” he affirmed.
The Ranking Member also hinted at potential similar issues in other Ghanaian diplomatic missions, urging the Foreign Affairs Ministry to broaden its reform efforts beyond Washington.
“We are also aware that such practices are taking place in other embassies. We urge the Minister to take the necessary steps to ensure that all of our embassies serve the people’s interest without any room for corruption,” he noted.
While acknowledging public criticism regarding the Minister’s communication strategy, particularly the use of Facebook to announce the closure, Hon. Oko Vanderpuije, the Ablekuma South MP, underscored the significance of the action taken. “The way the Minister came out with the information could have been better but what is important is that action was taken. The Embassy is being reopened, and we’re committed to ensuring that it runs with transparency,” he assured.
The Foreign Affairs Committee members are slated to visit the Washington Embassy soon to independently verify the implementation of reforms and ensure corruption-free service delivery.
By Osumanu Al-Hassan/thenewsbulletin24.com