Ablakwa condemns US embassy over new visa policy

ruth

June 24, 2017 12:17 PM

The new visa policy requires that ex-presidents, MPs and government officials be physically present for visas to be issued to them when they are embarking on private visits to the USA.

The Minority spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okduzeto Ablakwa, has criticized the US embassy in Accra over it new visa policy.

The decision has generated heat in the country, forcing the embassy to clarify that presidential courtesies will be extended to the former presidents.

Ghana has three living ex-President: John Kufour, Jerry John Rawlings and John Mahama.

Speaking on Accra-based Class FM Friday, the former Deputy Minister of Education said: “We will not allow ex-Presidents Rawlings, Kufuor, and Mahama to be embarrassed and to be subjected to any kind of treatment, because at the end of the day it is not about them, it is about the image of our country and the respect that we must command in the comity of nations as a people.“We cannot accept that because of visa they will treat our former presidents anyway and anyhow they like; that will not be allowed to happen.“I can assure that the necessary support will be extended to the Foreign Affairs Ministry.”

He explained that Ghana has good relations with the USA, saying the cooperation between the two countries should not be allowed to deteriorate.

“We have current cooperation and very strategic relations between the US and Ghana, some of which we cannot even disclose on air. And so there is no need for us to, as it were, get to a point where there will be a diplomatic [rift] between Ghana and the United States,” he said.

He added: “The Foreign Affairs Minister said she is not aware of this new directive and so they will pursue the matter, and so I want to believe that in the spirit of existing relations and the friendly bonds and the mutual respect that must exist between both countries, I don’t expect the US ambassador to implement this policy, even if it is some kind of directive which is from above.”

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