Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
A video of Ghana's State Protocol, Ahmed Hassan, has gone viral where he was seen offering his hand to the governor of the state of Nevada and was snubbed.
This happened after President Akufo Addo was ushered to a podium to address the fifty states of the United States of America.
The video has received a lot of critics from quite a number of Ghanaians although others have argued that Mr Hassan was rather ushering the President to the podium.
However, the Minority on the committee of the Foreign Affairs ministry have called for reforms in the work ethics of the Director of National protocol to avoid what they describe as a national embarrassment.
On the path of the government however, the Director of State Protocol was not on track in the performance of his duty and therefore there will be no need for any reforms.
The government has said that, as per the build up to the address, President Akufo Addo was supposed to have a seat before standing to deliver his address and that Mr Hassan was directing him to the seat and was not demanding for a hand shake from the State Governor.
Speaking on the issue the High ranking of the Foreign Affairs Ministry Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said the action of the Director of State Protocol is either engaged in a breach of of standard protocol or the embarrassment was a result of miscommunication.
He said, “If you look at the video carefully it is not about directing the president where to sit. The president was invited to speak so he was being invited to take the podium to deliver his address”.
He further indicated that, "It is clear that when you see the refusal of the governor to shake the Director of State Protocol, it is clear that he expected that at that point only the president will walk upstage to shake hands with him and take the podium. We see that happen as standard practice".
