The Minister of Foreign Affairs-designate, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has declared that under his leadership, Ghana’s ambassadors and high commissioners will no longer enjoy diplomatic positions without measurable results.
Speaking before the Parliamentary Appointments Committee, Ablakwa stated that all foreign envoys will be given clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to justify their appointments.
“When we send you as an ambassador, it’s not just for attending events. You must bring us something home that will impact the lives of the people. How many investors are you bringing in? Industries? Foreign Direct Investments (FDI)? They will be given clear KPIs,” he emphasized.
The Minister-designate did not mince words, warning that ambassadors who fail to bring recognizable economic benefits to Ghana will be removed from their positions.
“If within one year we are not seeing any benefits, you will be reshuffled,” he stated, vowing to replace non-performing diplomats with more dynamic and proactive individuals who will prioritize Ghana’s national interest.
Ablakwa also raised concerns about the high cost of maintaining Ghana’s foreign missions while questioning their impact.
“Last year, we spent more than 875 million GHC on foreign staff alone. That is almost a billion, then you ask yourself, these 71 missions out there, what do they bring in?” he queried.
According to him, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has long been perceived as “too abstract”, and he intends to change that by ensuring Ghana’s missions deliver tangible economic results.
Beyond economic diplomacy, Ablakwa pledged to modernize Ghana’s passport system, citing persistent inefficiencies and a backlog of over 7,000 applications.
“There are too many complaints. I want to use technology to reform the passport system,” he stated.
He outlined plans to transition from the current biometric passport to a more secure, chip-embedded passport, ensuring a more efficient and transparent application process.
