Embassy Closure: Reopening After 3 Days Means Decision Wasn’t Well-thought Through- Jinapor

The Member of Parliament for Damongo Constituency, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has described the decision by the government to close the country’s embassy in Washington as “rushed, kneejerk and populist action”.

According to him, the fact that the embassy reopened three days after the closure attests that it was “not well-thought through, diplomatically improper, procedurally defective, and strategically injudicious”.

“We note that this is not the first time Foreign Service officers or employees of foreign missions have been involved in malfeasance or corrupt practices. When these happen, they are strategically dealt with in a manner that protects the reputation of the State, and the hardworking Foreign Service officers who are not involved in such corrupt practices. In the past, persons found to be involved in such acts have been recalled, investigated and in some cases prosecuted, without making fair out of it,” he explained.

He added that the action of the government embarrassed and damaged the reputation of the country, with far-reaching adverse implications for our foreign policy, diplomatic relations with other nations, generally, and particularly the United States of America, as well as the welfare of Ghanaian citizens across.

“Declaring a foreign mission ‘closed’ on Facebook without any broader engagement through official diplomatic channels not only offends international norms but also risks undermining Ghana’s credibility on the global stage. Today, Ghana has become a butt of jokes in diplomatic circles both within and outside the country.”

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