Ghana’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has laid bare the dire financial situation of his ministry, revealing that he inherited a staggering GHS 453 million debt upon assuming office.
This revelation underscores the broader economic difficulties facing the country and has prompted immediate and drastic expenditure cuts within the ministry.
Speaking on the affairs within the Foreign Ministry, Ablakwa described the debt as “colossal” and “frightening,” stressing things could no longer be business as usual.
“The Foreign Ministry was not left out, I have also met colossal arrears of about GHS 453 million” he said.
According to him, much of the debt is owed to international organizations such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU), and the United Nations (UN), where Ghana has accumulated arrears in its access contributions.
Ghana’s financial commitments to these bodies are crucial, as membership dues enable the country to maintain a voice in regional and global affairs.
However, the mounting arrears risk diminishing Ghana’s standing within these organizations and could lead to suspension from some key international platforms.
Radical Cuts
With such an enormous debt load, Ablakwa revealed that the 2025 budget had to undergo significant revision.
“In preparing the 2025 budget, we had to suspend a lot of projects. What my departments brought when we had our first management meeting they wanted about GHS 3.3 billion. But we had to slash it, looking at the arrears situation”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration
In response to the financial strain, drastic cuts were made from staff requests slashing about GHS 1 billion from planned expenditures.
Among the hardest-hit areas are planned infrastructure projects, particularly the construction of new passport application centers, which have been put on hold.
Ablakwa emphasized that the ministry had no choice but to prioritize debt repayment over expansion projects.
In addition to suspending projects, the minister announced a series of cost-cutting measures designed to reduce government spending. Among these is a freeze on the purchase of new vehicles for top officials within the ministry.
“We are not gonna be purchasing any new vehicles for those of us at the top,” he stated firmly.
“No new vehicles for ministers, for the chief director, for directors whether saloon or SUVs. We are cutting down on travel expenditure. No first-class travels. And so we’ve really taken a hit”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration
These measures align with President John Dramani Mahama’s broader directive for government agencies to tighten their belts amid Ghana’s fiscal crisis.
With the country’s total public debt now exceeding GHS 720 billion and significant repayments due under the domestic debt exchange program, the government has had little choice but to adopt strict austerity measures.
“We can’t continue with the same expenditure patterns as though it’s business as usual,” Ablakwa stressed. “We are really doing our best to make sure that we come out of the woods.”
Ministry Lands Under Threat
Beyond financial troubles, Ablakwa also uncovered another disturbing issue; the unauthorized sale and occupation of lands belonging to the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
He disclosed that prime lands surrounding the ministry had either been sold off or taken over, with some individuals claiming to have valid documentation.
“I was saddened to discover that the adjoining lands of the Foreign Ministry are all gone,” he lamented.
“A number of people have been approaching us with so-called documentation that they own those portions of the land, and they are preparing to construct. So we’ve had to send a strongly worded message to all of them that, I mean, nobody does that”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration
Some of the individuals laying claim to these lands, he revealed, were allegedly owners of properties that were demolished during the construction of the controversial National Cathedral.
According to him, these individuals were supposedly compensated with portions of the Foreign Ministry’s land, a move he insists was never sanctioned by his office.
To address the issue, Ablakwa has submitted a memo to Cabinet seeking official intervention to reclaim the lands.
He vowed that his ministry would fight to protect its assets, warning that some of the claimants were foreign interests with potentially dangerous implications for national security.
“There are national security considerations. You’re going to have some of these bodies and individuals on the list who want to build so close to the Foreign Ministry. You don’t know who they work for, where their allegiances are, what kind of gadgets will be installed there. Nobody does that”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration
Confidence in ORAL
As part of the government’s broader push to recover lost public funds, Ablakwa expressed confidence in the work of the Attorney General’s office, which is spearheading investigations into financial irregularities from past government transactions as part of ORAL.
“We have received a lot of requests from forensic experts willing to assist us, and I have enormous confidence in our Attorney General,” he said, and referenced the work the committee, which he was chair of, did for phase one of the project.
“Our work with phase one was just to put all of the data together. Phase Two is going into actual recoveries, prosecutions, and you’ve seen the work they have started, the arrests, the invitations, investigations, and prosecutions are going to start in the next few days”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration
Aside from the $ 58 million spent on a “mere pit” at the National Cathedral site, Ablakwa pointed to several questionable transactions that must be scrutinized, including the $ 2.8 million lost in the failed SkyTrain project.
“And we know the people, the individuals, if you follow the money, you’ll know where it ended,” he demanded.
With unveiling these financial challenges, the Minister has set a new tone for the Foreign Affairs Ministry: fiscal discipline, asset protection, and accountability.
While the GHS 453 million debt remains a significant burden, his commitment to restructuring expenditure and reclaiming state assets signals a proactive approach to governance.
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