National Tymes News Desk
THE Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Hon. Bernard Bediako Baidoo, affectionately called Lawyer B.B., has challenged the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to account for its own record on diplomatic passport issues rather than focus exclusively on allegations against Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Speaking on TV3’s New Day programme this morning, Lawyer B.B. responded to allegations of wrongdoing surrounding the alleged sale of diplomatic passports and questions about Ghana’s decision to communicate with the United States on the matter.
He questioned the basis of the opposition’s criticism and urged Ghanaians to consider the history of diplomatic passport administration under previous governments.
During the discussion, Lawyer B.B. also questioned whether the person making the allegations against Ablakwa held a diplomatic passport, using the issue to challenge what he described as selective outrage by the opposition.
Abu Jinapor And The 8+ Matter:
The discussion also touched on allegations concerning the period when former Deputy Chief of Staff, Samuel Abu Jinapor, served in that capacity.
Claims were raised about alleged excess amounts in US dollars collected during the period, an allegation he reportedly denied.
Lawyer B.B. further addressed the controversial 8+ matter, insisting that President Nana Akufo-Addo had referred the issue to the then National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), now the Bureau of National Intelligence (BIN).
He maintained that he was never personally instructed by the former President to submit a report on the matter.
Lawyer B.B. Defends Ablakwa:
Returning to the allegations against Ablakwa, Lawyer B.B. argued that the Foreign Affairs Minister had demonstrated a willingness to account for his stewardship.
He Cited Three Issues To Support His Position:
Ablakwa had voluntarily published records of the evacuation exercise and invited the Auditor-General to conduct an audit.
The NPP Minority had yet to publicly identify an evacuee who could specifically confirm that he or she did not receive the GH¢5,500 reintegration and transport support.
The Minority’s own statement contained differing financial figures, including GH¢16,423,470 in one paragraph and GH¢16,302,586 in another, representing a difference of more than GH¢120,000.
Lawyer B.B. questioned why the opposition was demanding accountability from the Foreign Affairs Minister while, in his view, failing to address inconsistencies in its (NPP) own figures.
He argued that the allegations risked damaging the Minister’s reputation without sufficient evidence to support the claims.
Ablakwa has also maintained that his handling of the evacuation exercise was transparent and has challenged the Minority to produce evidence of any beneficiary who was denied the promised support.
Lawyer B.B. urged Ghanaians to assess the Minister’s performance based on his record of protecting Ghanaian nationals in distress abroad.
He cited the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa and the more than 6,300 citizens reportedly evacuated from various countries under Ablakwa’s leadership.
He maintained that public officials should be judged on verifiable records and results rather than political accusations and press conferences.
Source: Nationaltymes.com
