In response to claims that he breached vetting protocols, Minority Leader of Parliament Alexander Afenyo-Markin has been called upon to issue an unconditional apology by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs.

At the minority's press conference earlier today in Parliament, Okudzeto Ablakwa said he was deeply unhappy with allegations that he was "smuggled" into the Appointments Committee room.

"Yesterday, there was an agreement to have only three nominees for the day," stated the minority leader. We agreed when they subsequently changed it to four. However, we discovered that the NDC had sneaked Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa into the committee room after they had asked for a fifth nominee.


In contrast, Ablakwa claimed that the original invitation letter from the committee clerk actually specified that he was set to be vetted by Parliament's Appointments Committee on Thursday, January 30, 2024, immediately following lunch. "I was to arrive at 12:30 PM, immediately following the lunch break," he explained.

Additionally, he was troubled by the way Afenyo-Markin's version of events depicted him as a "hooligan" who violated parliamentary protocol. He also denied claims that Vincent Ekow Assafuah, the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, had unfairly harmed his reputation by employing "backdoor tactics."


"This is an extremely significant issue. It's a problem with reputation. There was no conspiracy; I wasn't brought here illegally," Ablakwa claimed.

The minority leader has been formally apologetic, as asked by the foreign affairs minister designee. We call on the esteemed Minority Leader to issue an unconditional apology. My chiefs won't put up with this. You won't take this from my visitors, whose names I sent you on January 27. We won't be smuggled in here since we are not lazy folks.