NPP MP drags Ablakwa to Speaker for allegedly dropping him from parliamentary delegation to UNGA

Bosome Freho Member of Parliament, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, has petitioned Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, accusing Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa of abruptly withdrawing his flight ticket to the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), an action he says embarrassed Parliament and breached parliamentary convention.

In a petition dated October 6, 2025, the Deputy Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs said the incident not only undermined cordial relations among Members of Parliament but also risked setting a “dangerous precedent” for future committee engagements, according to a report by citinewsroom.com.

Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh argued that it is a long-standing parliamentary practice for both the Chairman and the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee to participate in the annual UNGA.

He said this year, his Ranking Member delegated him to represent the Minority side at the 80th Session.

He recounted that while on assignment in Abidjan on September 17, 2025, he was contacted by the Clerk of the Committee regarding the trip. He noted that he received his travel ticket on September 18, 2025, and was informed that his Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) would be provided at Kotoka International Airport on the day of departure, scheduled for September 22, 2025.

However, upon arrival at the airport, the NPP lawmaker said he was informed at the check-in counter that his ticket had been withdrawn.

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“The Chairman and Clerk subsequently reached out to the Minister for Foreign Affairs for clarification,” he wrote.

“Regrettably, the Minister’s Personal Assistant explained that the Ministry could only sponsor two participants — the Chairman and the Clerk, hence my exclusion and the withdrawal of my ticket,” he stated.

Asafo-Adjei Ayeh described the situation as unfortunate and embarrassing, arguing that it could have been avoided if the Ministry had communicated its decision earlier.

“This incident has brought the name of Parliament into disrepute and risks fostering unnecessary acrimony among Members of Parliament,” the petition read.

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The report noted that the MP urged the Speaker to take steps to prevent similar occurrences in the future, stressing that the integrity and dignity of Parliament must always be safeguarded.

“I respectfully petition Your Rt Hon Speakership to take due notice of this matter and to initiate the appropriate steps to prevent a recurrence of such incidents,” he appealed.

JKB/MA

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