The Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central, Patrick Boamah, has called on the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to urgently appear before Parliament to provide an official briefing on the situation facing Ghanaians in South Africa.
He argued that lawmakers should not rely on social media updates for matters of national importance and diplomatic significance, noting that the standard parliamentary process for obtaining ministerial responses is often too slow for urgent situations.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, Mr Boamah stressed that the Foreign Minister should address the House directly instead of posting on social media.
“So if the minister is in a country, like he always rushes to the House to brief us on visas and what have you, he should come to the floor. He should stop tweeting and posting. We are the people’s representatives,” he said.
He cautioned against waiting until diplomatic relations between Ghana and South Africa are damaged before taking action.
“Are we going to wait till the unfortunate happens, that diplomatic relationship between South Africa and us is severed? No, we don’t want that to happen,” he stated.
Mr Boamah also emphasised that Members of Parliament have a responsibility to represent and support their constituents, including those living abroad.
“The people in South Africa, they have reps in the chamber. If the person is from Takoradi, it’s the person’s MP. If the person is from Abeka, it’s the person’s MP,” he noted.
He added that a formal parliamentary briefing would enable MPs to engage affected Ghanaians and contribute effectively to resolving the challenges they are facing.
Editor:
Obiri-Yeboah
