The Minority in Parliament has called on President John Dramani Mahama to immediately recall Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Victor Smith, accusing him of unprofessional conduct and failing to protect Ghana’s diplomatic interests.

The call was made by the Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, who said the ambassador’s actions had compounded Ghana’s diplomatic difficulties at a time when the country is facing serious international challenges.

According to Mr. Ayeh, while Ghana’s diplomatic standing is under strain, the ambassador in Washington has become distracted by what he described as petty political score-settling, rather than focusing on critical diplomatic engagement in the United States.

He accused Ambassador Smith of breaching consular confidentiality and dragging Ghana’s mission in Washington into partisan domestic political disputes, actions the Minority says undermine the professionalism expected of Ghana’s foreign service.

“This is not just unprofessional; it is a clear dereliction of duty and yet another case of incompetence within our foreign service leadership,” Mr. Ayeh stated.

The Minority further alleged that the ambassador has failed in his responsibilities at a particularly sensitive moment when Ghana’s national interests and bilateral relations with the United States are at stake.

According to them, the ambassador’s preoccupation with issuing press releases—some of which they claim breached the confidentiality required in consular services—has come at the expense of meaningful diplomatic engagement.

“While Ghana burns diplomatically, our ambassador to Washington is engaged in petty political score-settling, breaching the confidentiality that consular services require and dragging Ghana’s mission into bipartisan domestic battles,” Mr. Ayeh said.

He added, “He has failed catastrophically. Ghana cannot afford ambassadors who prioritise publicity and press releases over diplomacy when our national interests hang in the balance.”

The Minority warned that continued tolerance of such conduct could further damage Ghana’s international reputation and negatively affect the welfare of Ghanaians living abroad, particularly in the United States.

They have therefore urged President Mahama to act swiftly by recalling Ambassador Smith in order to restore professionalism and credibility to Ghana’s diplomatic mission in Washington.