North Tongu opposition lawmaker, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has justified his support for Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey on her expression of interest and nomination as Ghana’s candidate for Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
It is recalled that he had claimed that the cost of the 100-year-old 6-bedroom house in Oslo that was being considered to be used as Ghana’s chancery was inflated. Ablakwa alleged that the property was bought by a certain woman for US$2.9 million in 2014 and sold to an unknown buyer for US$3.5 million in August 2017, and so it was surprising that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a presentation to the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament said it was purchasing the same building for US$12.2 million in 2018.
Justifying his support for the Foreign Affairs Minister for the Commonwealth post despite having made these statements earlier, he indicated that when it comes to these international appointments, there has been a long-standing tradition of rallying behind the flag of Ghana despite the political background of the person nominated for the post.
“We have had a long-standing tradition of rallying behind the flag. When it comes to these international appointments it is not about partisanship, we are all Ghanaians, it is like the Black Stars, we put all the partisanship, and all the divisions aside, what matters is that we are rallying behind the flag and it is about Ghana.
“You are a candidate for Ghana and so we have to be patriotic and we have to wish you well, that is what I have done. I must emphasize that that does not mean the revelations we had in the past were not founded or justified. As you do know on the matter of the Oslo Chancery scandal, fortunately after that expose they backed out from the deal and Ghana saved money about 12 million dollars and to me, that is what matters. What I do, I carry out my constitutional mandate of oversight not out of malice or personal vendetta, it is not because I hate anybody, it is to protect the public purse, it is to pursue the national interest and once we save money, officials back out when we are timely and expose what is going on, we have to move on,” he told journalists in Kumasi on Saturday February 3.
Mr Ablakwa earlier congratulated Madam Ayorkor Botchwey on her nomination as Ghana’s candidate for the post. He said she could count on the support of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for support as she seeks to win the position for Ghana.
“I congratulate Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey on her expression of interest and nomination as Ghana’s candidate for Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
“As our Flagbearer and Former President, H.E. John Mahama intimated at his Chatham House lecture last year, Hon. Botchwey can count on the full support of the NDC.
“Consistent with our longstanding national tradition of rallying behind Ghanaian candidates for international assignments regardless of partisan affiliation — my colleagues and I on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee wish her success in October’s election. This is about our dearest Ghana, and our collective glory. Go make us proud, Hon. Minister,” Mr Ablakwa who is also the Minority spokesperson on Foreign Affairs wrote on his X platform on Friday.
Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has formally expressed interest in the position of Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
This was contained a press statement issued by the Ministry on Friday, February 2.
Based on an understanding among members of the Commonwealth that its next Secretary-General would come from Africa, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo nominated Hon. Botchwey as Ghana’s candidate, the statement said.
A new Secretary-General of the 56-member organisation will be elected on 22nd October, 2024 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa to replace Baroness Patricia Scotland, a dual Dominican-British citizen, whose second and final tenure expires at the end of 2024.
Nominating Ayorkor Botchwey, President Akufo-Addo stated, “I have strong confidence in Foreign Minister Botchwey to lead our aspiration for renewal and for building future-looking resilient and thriving economies, through community cooperation and action, as underscored at Kigali, Rwanda, during the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).”
The Ministry’s statement further said that Madam Botchwey has been endorsed by the African Union, and also enjoys considerable support across all regions of the Commonwealth.
She is a lawyer, diplomat, politician, and communications professional, with extensive experience in international relations and diplomacy, and public service. She is also a member of the National Security Council.
The Commonwealth is a diverse intergovernmental association headed by King Charles III. It promotes, among other objectives, democratic governance among member-states, and cooperation in trade, education, climate advocacy and transparency in financial systems.
Madam Botchwey has served as Ghana’s Foreign Minister for the past seven years, during which she steered Ghana’s momentous two-year tenure on the United Nations Security Council, ending in December 2023. She also chaired the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Council of Ministers for two successive terms from 2020 to 2022.
She previously served as Deputy Foreign Minister from 2006 to 2009, and Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, and Communications prior to that. A four-term legislator from 2004 through 2020, Hon. Botchwey served on several parliamentary select committees, including Foreign Affairs, as well as Appointments, Defence and Interior, Communications, and Gender and Children. She was also a member of the ECOWAS Parliament from 2013 to 2017 and was Vice-Chair on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Committees.