Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, has been caught in a black lie, spreading false claims about comments made by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, regarding a United States airstrike against terrorist targets in northern Nigeria.
This follows remarks made by Ablakwa during a panel discussion at Chatham House in London on March 10, 2026.
Abu Jinapor’s allegation
Jinapor alleged the minister stated that the United States used Ghana as a base to carry out airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Nigeria and that the operation was approved by President John Dramani Mahama.
However, a review of Ablakwa’s actual comments, as reported by GhanaWeb, indicates that the claims attributed to him are false.
Also read: Nitiwul: No deal with US to launch anti-terror strikes from Ghana
Addressing journalists in Parliament on March 11, 2026, Jinapor, who previously served as Minister for Lands and Natural Resources under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, asserted that Ablakwa admitted Ghana collaborated with the United States and allowed its territory to be used for the airstrikes.
“Yesterday or so, the Foreign Minister of our country, the Honourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, in London at Chatham House, in contributing to a panel discussion, indicated that sometime last December (December 2025), the Mahama administration collaborated and cooperated with the United States of America and ceded Ghanaian territory as grounds or a base for the United States of America to unleash airstrikes against ISIS in Northern Nigeria,” Jinapor said.
He further claimed that the minister stated the action was taken with the express authorisation of President Mahama.
“These comments were made on foreign soil before an international institute, Chatham House,” Jinapor added and demanded that the Foreign Affairs Minister appear before Parliament to answer questions.
What Ablakwa actually said
Okudzeto Ablakwa, during the discussion at Chatham House, spoke broadly about Ghana’s approach to military cooperation with international partners.
Referring to the Christmas Day airstrikes by the United States against extremist targets in Nigeria, the minister said the operation was initiated at the request of the Nigerian government.
“The Nigerians will confirm to you that they invited the Americans, and they also reached out to Ghana to collaborate — both the Nigerians and the Americans,” Ablakwa stated.
However, the Minister did not say that Ghana served as a base for the operation or that the Ghanaian government approved such use of its territory.
Instead, Ablakwa emphasized the importance of respecting national sovereignty and ensuring that any international military cooperation follows strict conditions.
“Sovereignty has to be respected. Territorial integrity has to be respected. You must be invited, and we must all agree on the scope of the intervention,” he said.
He further warned against any actions that could undermine the sovereignty of nations.
“Our citizens would not forgive us, and legitimately so, if we just take away their sovereignty and allow external elements to come in and do whatever they want,” Ablakwa added.
The differences
A comparison of both statements shows clear differences between what Ablakwa said and what Jinapor attributed to him.
While Jinapor claimed that Ghana’s territory was used as a base for the US airstrike and that the move had presidential approval, Ablakwa only stated that Ghana had been contacted by both the United States and Nigeria regarding possible collaboration.
At no point in the Chatham House discussion did the Foreign Affairs Minister state that Ghana’s territory was used as a base for the strike or that President Mahama approved such an arrangement.
Another notable omission in Jinapor’s claims is Ablakwa’s statement that the Nigerian government had invited both the United States and Ghana in relation to the operation.