The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has urged the public to disregard the “false claims” suggesting he has sanctioned a US$5.2 million contract for the renovation of Ghana’s Embassy in Benin.
In a Facebook post on Monday, September 8, 2025, the Minister emphatically stated that he has not awarded any contract for the renovation of the embassy since assuming office.
“Treat with utter contempt the false claims that I have awarded a renovation contract for our embassy in Benin at a cost of US$5.2million.
“For the record, I have not awarded any embassy renovation contract anywhere in the world. Let me be clear — not a single embassy renovation or construction contract has been awarded by me since I became Foreign Minister,” Ablakwa reemphasised.
The North Tongu Member of Parliament, however, stressed that he has instead saved the nation some funds by terminating a single-sourced “midnight” contract awarded by the previous administration just weeks before the end of its tenure.
He explained that the then Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey-led Foreign Affairs Ministry had awarded a contract for the renovation of Ghana’s embassy in Abidjan for the sum of US$3.5 million, which he has since halted.
“On the contrary, I have rather protected taxpayers by canceling a US$3.5million single source midnight contract to renovate our embassy in Abidjan which was awarded on 7th November, 2024.”
He expressed his commitment to contributing his quota to protect the public purse and to see the government’s reset agenda come to fruition.
“I shall never betray the trust of the Ghanaian people as we work tirelessly, and with integrity, to achieve President Mahama’s Reset Agenda.”
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