Member of Parliament for Damongo Constituency and Ranking Member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor, has emphasised the need for Ghana to uphold its core foreign policy values in a rapidly changing global landscape.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, Jinapor stressed the challenges posed by recent international developments, including the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and shifts in U.S. policy, urging Ghana to remain steadfast in promoting national interests, regional integration, and global peace.
Jinapor underscored the historical roots of Ghana’s foreign policy, tracing its origins to pre-independence advocates like Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford and Dr. J.B. Danquah, who envisioned a united West Africa.
He noted that Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President, built on this vision, emphasising Pan-Africanism and non-alignment. “Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa,” Jinapor quoted Nkrumah, reinforcing Ghana’s commitment to African unity.
Addressing contemporary challenges, Jinapor stressed the impact of global events on Ghana, including the suspension of USAID’s international funding, which has forced the nation to revise its financial strategies.
He also pointed to the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, following their exit from ECOWAS, as a critical issue requiring diplomatic engagement. “We must work with these nations to urgently transition to a democratic dispensation while promoting good neighborliness,” Jinapor stated.
On the international stage, Abu Jinapor called for Ghana to take a firm stance on conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Palestine crisis.
Ghana, he said, cannot keep quiet while people continue to die in the Gaza Strip, nor can it ignore the barbaric killing of innocent people in Israel on October 7, 2023, and advocated for respect for international law and territorial integrity under the principle of uti possidetis juris.
Jinapor also criticized the mass deportations of Ghanaian citizens from the United States and the withdrawal of major powers from global agreements like the Paris Agreement. “It is unacceptable for powerful states, who have historically contributed to the climate crisis, to resile from commitments to protect our planet,” he declared.
Abu Jinapor paid tribute to Ghana’s past Foreign Ministers, including Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, while congratulating the newly appointed Foreign Minister, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. “We urge him to lift the flag of Ghana high as the true Black Star of Africa,” Jinapor said.
