The Immediate Past Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament for Mampong, Kwaku Ampratwum- Sarpong has described the decision by Okudzato Ablakwa to establish a Students Desks at the Foreign Mission as a “demonstration of ignorance of his core mandate”.
Mr. Ampratwum has also said, that the move portrays the current Minister for Foreign Affairs, Akudzato Ablakwa as a Minister who is in a hurry to make a mark albeit with reckless abandoning.
In a Facebook post on Monday, February 17, 2025, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced the establishment of a special department within Ghana’s diplomatic missions abroad to prioritize the needs of Ghanaian students.
He said Student Desks have been set up in 11 countries / diplomatic missions with a high concentration of Ghanaian students including Abidjan, Beijing, Belgrade, Cotonou, Havana, Lomé, London, Moscow, Rabat, Rome, and Ottawa.
Responding to this establishment, Apratwum argued that, some of Ghana’s Missions abroad already have officers posted from the Scholarship Secretariat who handle such issues hence there is no need for the Foreign Affairs Minister to reassign people to that position or create a new desk.
“To set the records straight, it is a fact that some of Ghana’s missions abroad have designated officers posted from the Scholarship Secretariat who handle issues regarding the payment of fees and welfare of Ghanaian students, especially those on government scholarship”, the Immediate Past Deputy Foreign Minister said in a write up copied to Lawson News.
He said he believes that Mr Ablakwa must have been advised by technocrats at the ministry of the existence of what he plans to reintroduce but “chose to ignore this sound advice and proceeded to issue his propaganda-filled directive to score political points”.
Mr Ampratwum, however, in his writings acknowledged the fact that the biggest issue confronting Ghanaian students studying abroad, particularly those on government scholarship, is the undue delay in the payment of their fees and stipends.
To ensure that Ghanaian students abroad are well treated especially when it comes to their welfare, Hon. Ampratwum suggested that the way forward is for the government to ensure that funds earmarked for the students are released to the Scholarship Secretariat on time for timely disbursement.
