Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has mounted a defence of his longstanding scrutiny of presidential travel, describing his actions as a patriotic duty to protect the public purse and uphold the principle of accountability.

Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, called on the Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to resign, apologise to former President Akufo-Addo, and support the acquisition of a new presidential jet.

In a social media post on Monday, August 18, Rev Fordjour criticised the Minister and the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) for what he described as “petty politics” over presidential travels.

In a post on Facebook on Wednesday, August 20, Mr Ablakwa responded to critics questioning his oversight role during his time as Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, particularly over his public campaign against former President Akufo-Addo’s use of chartered luxury jets.

“I remain extremely proud of my parliamentary oversight... My principled position has not changed and will not change. It has always been for God and Country,” he declared.

Drawing comparisons with history, Mr Ablakwa highlighted former President Akufo-Addo’s own vociferous opposition, as a Member of Parliament in 2000, to President Rawlings’ plans to acquire a new executive jet.

Referencing the official Parliamentary Hansard of 15th February, 2000, he questioned why similar scrutiny under the Fourth Republic is now deemed objectionable.

“Former President Akufo-Addo didn’t think Rawlings’ jet acquisition should be exempt from prioritisation, prudence, and value for money so what changed when he became President 17 years later?”

The Minister restated that his objections to former President Akufo-Addo’s US$18,000-per-hour chartering of ultra-luxury private jets were based solely on national interest particularly when Ghana’s official presidential jet, purchased in 2008 under President Kufuor, remained in excellent condition.

He rejected suggestions that he should apologise for his oversight, noting that many Ghanaians had supported his campaign and welcomed the eventual outcome the cessation of chartered travel by the former President.

“I owe no one an apology for leading this consequential and noble oversight to protect taxpayers,” Mr Ablakwa said. “This is a legacy I will forever cherish.”

According to Mr Ablakwa, President Akufo-Addo eventually abandoned the luxury charters from mid-2023 through to the end of his tenure in January 2025, opting instead to rely solely on Ghana’s official presidential jet.

• Read also: Ablakwa must resign and apologise to Akufo-Addo over presidential jet politics – Ntim Fordjour

He credited this U-turn partly to his advocacy and partly to the country’s dire economic situation, which necessitated a $3 billion IMF bailout.

The Minister recalled that in June 2021, both the then-Ministers of Defence and National Security confirmed in Parliament that the presidential jet was airworthy with the only objection being its lack of a shower facility, which the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, oddly highlighted as a concern for the President.

Turning his attention to critics, Mr Ablakwa dismissed recent efforts to discredit his work as laughable and ill-informed.

“It is really comical that the very people demanding I resign are now trying to imitate my efforts — with disastrous results,” he wrote, adding that he had received requests from Ghanaians to “organise a workshop for the disgraced MPs.”

He also condemned what he described as attempts to "whitewash" President Akufo-Addo’s past by pushing false equivalences and undermining genuine oversight.

“The intelligence of Ghanaians should not be underestimated,” he warned. “Attempts to equalise with unscrupulous falsehoods have already failed.”

Mr Ablakwa criticised the Akufo-Addo government’s broader fiscal conduct, referencing the controversial US$97 million spent on the abandoned National Cathedral project, inflated sole-sourced contracts, and what he described as "state capture scandals" that contributed to Ghana’s economic collapse and debt default.

“Had the Akufo-Addo administration listened to some of us much earlier, Ghana could have avoided bankruptcy and the painful financial haircuts we had to endure.”

The Minister concluded his post with a rallying message, saying President Mahama’s new administration would usher in a culture of modesty, accountability, and respect for public funds.

“President Mahama’s government will continue to reset Ghana with truth, modesty, frugality and deep respect for the Ghanaian people. For God and Country.”