Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has clarified that the team leading operations at the reopened Ghana Embassy in Washington D.C., USA, consists of seasoned diplomats, not new recruits.
According to him, these diplomats have been equipped with the necessary tools to effectively serve the nation’s interests following recent reforms at the consulate.
The Minister praised the reconstituted diplomatic team’s performance, highlighting their strong start on the first day of resumed operations.
In a Facebook post Friday, May 30, 2025, he wrote: “From the briefing I have received, our reopened embassy in Washington D.C. issued over 800 visas on the first day of resumption,”
“I expect this level of efficiency, professionalism, and integrity to continue,” he added, refuting the claims that new persons have been employed to take over the jobs.
“Contrary to false and baseless claims, there have been no new recruitments to replace lost jobs in our Washington embassy — we have an adequate stock of distinguished and astute diplomats to lead ongoing reforms,” he stated.
He noted that the fresh team of seasoned diplomats is performing well due to the system overhaul and institutional reforms aimed at restoring integrity and enhancing performance within the embassy’s operations.
“This is a testament to the fact that Ghanaian diplomats excel when provided with the right ecosystem and leadership,” Ablakwa added.
The restructuring, according to Ablakwa, is part of a “patriotic consequential reset agenda” , dismissing the claims that it is a mere political patronage. “This cannot be reduced to ‘jobs for the boys,’” he asserted.
Ghana’s embassy in Washington was temporarily closed for restructuring following the discovery of corrupt practices after an investigation.
Fred Kwarteng, an IT personnel involved in siphoning money from passport applicants, was immediately dismissed, prompting the temporary closure to implement necessary reforms.
Ablakwa sacks staff of Ghana Embassy in Washington DC over passport scam
