Akosua Manu has described Ablakwa's comment as needless and reckless
Akosua Manu, Aide to the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called for the dismissal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, for allegedly revealing sensitive security details to the public.
Speaking in a recent interview on Asempa FM, with footage shared widely on social media, Manu criticized the minister’s comments regarding Ghana’s alleged involvement in the US Christmas Day airstrike in Nigeria.
She described his disclosure as “needless and reckless,” insisting that the President should have dismissed him immediately.
“The recklessness and indiscretion of the Foreign Minister are unacceptable. A Foreign Minister sits at the highest level on many security boards. Some of these briefings are bound by an oath of secrecy. After hearing such information, you are expected to keep quiet. Yet he went to Chatham House and said that Ghana collaborated with the US in the Christmas bombing. Where do we say this?” she questioned.
Manu further warned that such revelations could endanger Ghana, citing examples of countries like Iran attacking Dubai because the US used their bases for military operations.
“Do you know the danger we are in by disclosing such information? ISIS could now know that we were involved in attacks against them,” she added.
She suggested that President Dramani Mahama should have engaged in backroom discussions with Nigeria instead of allowing such sensitive information to be made public.
“This is not the first time, and it will not be the last until we recall him. The comment was reckless and needless and the President should have sacked him even before he reached his hotel after saying those words,” Manu added.
It may be recalled that, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, hinted that Ghana played a role in the Christmas Day airstrike by the United States (US) against terrorist targets in Nigeria.
During a panel discussion at Chatham House on March 10, 2026, the minister indicated that the airstrike by the US, which was against Islamic jihadists in Sokoto in the northern part of Nigeria, was requested by the Nigerian government.
He went on to state that the US and Nigerian governments contacted Ghana to play a role in the airstrike.
“We also take the view that any operation, any intervention must be on a case-by-case basis, and there has to be express approval. So, the recent attacks in Nigeria, the Nigerians will confirm to you that they invited the Americans, and they also reached out to Ghana to collaborate. Both the Nigerians and the Americans,” he said.
Ablakwa, who didn’t state exactly what role Ghana was asked to play in the strikes, or whether it was accepted, said that the government of Ghana would not take any step that violates its sovereignty or that of another country.
“Sovereignty has to be respected. Territorial integrity has to be respected. You must be invited, and we must all agree on the scope of the intervention, because we do not want this to lead to another Venezuelan situation or some other, you know, geopolitical matter, because sovereignty is important, territorial integrity is important.
“We must know exactly what the scope is, what you are coming to do, the nature of the intervention. It's very, very important. I mean, our citizens would not forgive us, and legitimately so, if we just, you know, take away their sovereignty and allow external elements to just come in and do whatever they want,” he said.
On December 25, 2025, the US launched airstrikes against the Islamic State in Nigeria, which the country’s president, Donald Trump, reportedly described as "a Christmas present."
Before the strikes, President Trump, in October 2025, threatened military action against Nigeria over what he described as a Christian genocide.
In November 2025, Trump doubled down on his remarks, stating that the United States would not stand by while Christians were being killed in the West African country.
He subsequently ordered the Department of War to prepare for possible action in Nigeria, warning that the US military could intervene to eliminate terrorist groups.
"We're going to do things to Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about. And we may very well go into that now-disgraced country, guns blazing, to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible, horrible atrocities. I'm hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it would be fast, vicious, and sweet, just as the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians," Trump earlier warned.
US deploys military troops to Nigeria - Report
@asempa_fm Foreign Minister Okudzeto Ablakwa should have been sacked the day he exposed Ghana to potential security threats. His claim at Chatham House that Ghana collaborated with the United States on the Christmas Day bombing of armed groups in Nigeria was reckless and irresponsible. I have never seen such a loose-talking Foreign Minister. Is he the Security Minister? What was the purpose of disclosing that information? - AKOSUA MANU #Ekosiisen ♬ original sound - ASEMPA FM
@diplomatictimesghana Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has confirmed that the United States and Nigeria reached out to Ghana to collaborate on the Christmas Day strikes on ISIS targets in Sokoto State, stressing that the country retains sovereignty in its strategic defence cooperation with foreign partners. Video Credit: Chatham House
♬ original sound - Diplomatic Times Ghana
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