Foreign Affairs Minister Rolls Out Reforms to Address ‘Poor’ Services at Ghana Missions Abroad

Accra: Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs, has unveiled a comprehensive set of reforms aimed at transforming service delivery at Ghana's embassies and consulates across the globe. This follows mounting public dissatisfaction, including a recent article by Professor Kojo Dei, which described disheartening experiences at two Ghanaian missions.According to Ghana News Agency, the Foreign Affairs Minister, in a strongly worded statement, acknowledged the widespread concerns, described them as 'justified grievances,' and assured Ghanaians that decisive actions were being taken under the Mahama administration's Reset Agenda. 'Such condemnable conduct won't be allowed on my watch,' Mr Ablakwa stated, adding that while many of Ghana's missions were known for excellence, empathy, and professionalism, others had become notorious for poor service and discourtesy.Despite inheriting the situation, the Minister took full responsibility and announced a six-point intervention strategy to reve rse the negative trend and restore public confidence in Ghana's diplomatic institutions. Key among the new measures is the development of a new code of conduct that governs how embassy officials interact with the public. 'A new code on how all those who engage with our missions should be treated has been developed,' he announced.He also disclosed that directives had been issued to reconfigure phone systems at missions to enable the handling of multiple simultaneous calls. Additionally, all official phone calls to missions will now be recorded for periodic review to assess professionalism and empathy in consular services. In a bid to ensure accountability, mechanisms have been instituted in partnership with service providers to verify whether embassy officials are responding to public calls.Also, responsiveness and accessibility have been incorporated into new Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for ambassadors and high commissioners. 'Officials whose conduct falls short of the prescribed standards will face appropriate sanctions,' the Minister warned.Touching on Ghana's embassy in Washington DC, Mr Ablakwa revealed that the mission had undergone significant changes following credible reports of corruption and poor service delivery. 'We have surgically uprooted the canker of corruption,' he said, confirming that he personally visited the mission to oversee the reform process. Since its reopening, the embassy has issued 2,943 visas, and the newly deployed diplomatic team has been directed to fully implement the new responsiveness and service quality policies.The Foreign Minister called on Ghanaians to embrace the Mahama-led Reset Agenda, which, he said, was committed to promoting accountable public service, rooting out corruption, and enhancing the country's international image. 'The Mahama administration is deeply committed to a new reset era of accountable public service with uncompromisingly high standards of professionalism, transparency, and patriotism,' he affirmed.