The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has admonished the Inspector General of Police, George Akuffo Dampare, to focus on the worsening security of the country.
Reacting to the IGP’s reply to the British High Commissioner’s tweet on Oliver Barker-Vormawor’s latest arrest, he averred that it could have been addressed in a more suitable way.
According to Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Inspector-General of Police should have raised his concerns about the British High Commissioner’s tweet with Ghana’s Foreign Minister for it to be addressed through the time-tested diplomatic channels.
“May I plead with my good friend, IGP Dr. Akuffo Dampare, to rather focus his attention on the worsening security environment which has led to the gruesome loss of life of a lawyer, gold dealers in Asamang Tamfoe, and many other victims of unresolved police brutalities from the 2020 Elections to Ejura, Tamale, Akatsi, Asawase and Nkoranza.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
The North Tongu MP noted that Ghana and the UK share strong cordial bilateral relations and official communications do not have to be caustic, virulent and intemperate so as to create the impression as though Ghana has become sworn adversaries.
The North Tongu law maker was of the view that the IGP’s rather ill-advised attack on the British High Commissioner for being meddlesome in Ghana’s internal affairs, appears rather far-fetched, “particularly considering the significant fact that the activist of interest is a student in the UK and that matters of human rights are universal and cardinal”.
“In any case, international relations of the modern era creates great accommodation for peer review—this has been on exhibition in recent times when the Ghanaian President criticized western nations including the UK in his 2021 UN address for apparently using COVID-19 vaccination policies as a discriminatory immigration tool against Africans.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Ghana government on Russia-Ukraine attacks
Citing an example in this regard, Okudzeto Ablakwa posited that the Ghanaian Government has also been loud in the public condemnation of President Vladimir Putin for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “I wouldn’t describe these very recent examples cited above as Ghana’s President meddling in the internal affairs of other nations.”
According to the North Tongu MP, it is quite ironic though, that the IGP does not preach the “di wo fie asem” doctrine when it is time to receive the numerous donor assistance packages from the British Government.
“I shall respectfully, however, urge Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway to urgently intervene with the objective of de-escalation and restoring our traditionally friendly Ghana-UK climate.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Meanwhile, Governance Expert, Professor Baffuor Agyemang-Duah has observed that some foreign diplomats in Ghana interfere in the domestic affairs of Ghana too much. He described some of these interferences as unduly and unnecessary.
Professor Agyemang-Duah said: “we are a sovereign nation and there are diplomatic requirements when a nation engages another nation. When they send their diplomats they are guided by the general convention.”
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