Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has explained his recent absence from Parliament despite an invitation from the House.
The minister was expected to respond to urgent questions in the House but did not show up and gave no explanation, a move the Minority described as part of a growing trend of evasive conduct by some government officials.
However, the North Tongu MP stated that he had no knowledge of the invitation and remains fully committed to parliamentary accountability.
In a social media post on Friday, June 13, Ablakwa stressed that his respect for Parliament, where he serves as a member, and for Speaker Alban Bagbin, remains unflinching.
“For the record: I had no knowledge of the parliamentary invitation; I will always avail myself for parliamentary questions as I have done diligently and consistently; my high regard and utmost respect for Parliament and the Speaker cannot be questioned, and I am ready to respond to the questions in issue when Parliament’s notice is brought to my attention,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated June 12, also clarified that the minister could not honour the invitation because he was out of the country on official assignment.
“The Ministry regrets to inform that the letter was received on 9th June 2025 at 15:04hrs (see evidence attached) to appear the next day, 10th June 2025, by which time the Honourable Minister was out of the country on an official national assignment attending the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Changsha, China, accompanied by some esteemed Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs. It was therefore impossible for the Minister to attend the scheduled appearance,” the letter addressed to Parliament said in part.
It further added: “Respectfully, the Minister had no knowledge of this invitation at the time the matter came up on the floor of Parliament.”
