By: Baba Mohammed Issahaq
In a bold and unexpected jab on the floor of Parliament, the Member of Parliament for Tolon and Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Hon. Habib Iddrisu, has slammed the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa, for what he described as a lack of seriousness and double standards in handling global crises.
Hon. Habib questioned why the Minister was seated comfortably in Parliament while the world watched the rising tensions between Israel and Iran a situation that could have dire consequences for Ghanaians in the region.
“Mr. Speaker, even the minister responsible for foreign affairs I was expecting him in either Israel or Iran,” the Tolon MP said sharply. “Because during the Russia-Ukraine war, when he was Ranking Member on Foreign Affairs, he rushed to Ukraine and was taking pictures with Ghanaian students. Today, there’s a similar crisis brewing in the Middle East. Why is he here instead of out there doing the same job?”
His comments sparked murmurs across the chamber, with some MPs visibly taken aback by the directness of the statement.
Critics say Hon Ablakwa’s silence and inaction in the face of growing geopolitical conflict raise serious questions about the current government’s commitment to protecting Ghanaian lives abroad. Others say his actions in the past, compared to now, show that he was only playing a political game with the Russian-Ukrainian issues.
