Ablakwa ‘exposes’ $38.2m visa processing scandal at Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu

Tongu North MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has raised the alarm over what he describes as a high level visa processing scandal involving Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.

The lawmaker claimed that the scandal was started by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration, which he accuses of hastily signing a “dubious” visa processing contract in the last few weeks before leaving office.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on October 17, 2024, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa explained that the deal involved a; Access Citizens Services Ghana Limited has sparked outrage among diplomats and security officials.

According to Ablakwa, these diplomats have expressed concerns about its implications for national security, data protection and the financial interests of Ghanaian diplomatic missions abroad.

He mentioned that the contract agreement, signed on October 2, 2024, allows Access Citizens Services Ghana Limited to exclusively handle all front-end visa applications worldwide, excluding only protocol visas.

Subsequently, Ghanaian diplomatic missions will have to transfer visa processing responsibilities to Access Citizens within four months of the company establishing premium application centers in each respective country, a decision he believes is highly problematic.

Okudzeto Ablakwa noted that parliamentary oversight of the contract has revealed violations of due process, lack of transparency and disregard for Ghana’s procurement laws.

“The deal raises serious concerns about data protection, national security and a gross violation of the key functions of Ghana’s diplomatic missions. Interestingly, both sides have agreed to operate under the dubious new terms until 1 September 2028, with the option of another 5-year renewal. Access Citizens, under this new agreement, will enjoy absolute exclusivity,” the lawmaker wrote.

“Access Citizens insist that they should be allowed to exclusively process a planned minimum of 695,468 visas between September 1, 2023 and September 1, 2028, which has been happily granted by the Ministry of ‘Ghanaian Foreign Affairs Based on the inadmissible revenue sharing agreement under the contract, the Ghanaian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will receive a paltry 3% to 10% of visa applicant fees. ,” Ablakwa revealed.

“Visa applicants in the United Kingdom will now pay £45. Visa applicants in the United States of America will pay $55; visa applicants in Germany and Italy will pay €55; applicants in visa applicants to China will pay $55, and visa applicants from all other jurisdictions will pay $55 The conservative financial analysis shows that Access Citizens will collect about $38.2 million between now and September 2028. that Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is struggling to get a measly $2 million out of it,” he added.

Furthermore, the North Tongu lawmaker said the deal includes the absence of approval from the Public Procurement Authority and the exclusion of parliamentary scrutiny.

He cited intercepted documents revealing that the chief director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ramses J. Cleland, signed the agreement under the direction of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.

Ablakwa said top diplomats, including those in Washington and Beijing, are opposed to the deal, which could significantly reduce internally generated funds (IGF) for Ghanaian embassies and consulates.

“This hastily negotiated love deal is meant to deny the massive IGF from Ghanaian diplomatic missions. Unfortunately, they were not even consulted. Many of our diplomatic missions are justifiably attacking this hostile transaction with our embassies in Washington and Beijing,” he warned.

See Okudzeto Ablakwa’s tweet below:

The $38.2 million visa processing scandal

We have been forced to mount intense parliamentary scrutiny of a number of midnight contracts being negotiated by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government as their tenure comes to an end in a few weeks.

These negotiated hastily… pic.twitter.com/etPX7gf8vl

— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) October 17, 2024

MA

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