The Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has reaffirmed Ghana’s foreign policy direction, stressing that it underpins the country’s bilateral relations and mutual trust with nations across the globe.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Ablakwa traced Ghana’s humanitarian tradition to the First Republic under its President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, noting that successive governments had upheld the principle of solidarity by sharing in the suffering of people regardless of geography or political alignment.

The Minister was responding to the Minority’s request to the government to brief members of Parliament on the deployment of Ghanaian troops to Benin and Jamaica.

Mr Ablakwa disclosed that since January this year, President John Mahama had dispatched relief items, including food and medical supplies, to Sudan, Palestine, Haiti, Cuba, and, most recently, Jamaica, which was devastated by Hurricane Melissa.

The natural disaster in Jamaica claimed 40 lives and caused destruction estimated at $8.8 billion, he added.

Mr Ablakwa further announced that on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, President Mahama authorised the deployment of 54 army engineers and medical officers to Kingston, Jamaica, to assist in reconstruction efforts.

“Ghana’s foreign policy direction would not be defined by how much we take from others, but how the country can support others in distress,” the Minister stated.

Meanwhile, Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Member of Parliament for Domango and Ranking Member on Foreign Affairs, argued that the Minister’s appearance in Parliament was prompted by concerns raised earlier by the Minority Caucus regarding the deployment of soldiers to Benin and Jamaica.

He emphasised that the President’s executive powers must be exercised within the framework of parliamentary oversight, not arbitrarily.

Debate on the matter saw members from both the Majority and Minority sides of the House expressing sharply contrasting views along political lines.