The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has described as disingenuous and dishonest the Minority's criticism of the government's decision to join BRICS, revealing that the previous New Patriotic Party government under President Akufo-Addo also considered joining the bloc.
Speaking on TV3's KeyPoints show on Saturday, October 10, 2026, Mr Ablakwa said the cabinet of former President Akufo-Addo not only discussed BRICS membership but constituted committees to assess its impact.
"When we come to have these national discussions, we must come to these discussions with candour, sincerity, honesty, transparency. Ghanaians will be shocked to hear this morning that the President Akufo-Addo cabinet considered BRICS membership," he stated.
Mr Ablakwa questioned why members of the Minority, led by the Ranking Member on Foreign Affairs in Parliament, Mr Abdulai Jinapor, who was part of the previous cabinet that considered the proposition, are criticising the same decision being taken by the current government.
"I would have thought that the ranking member who was also in cabinet, the minister of state, would have come to this discussion with sincerity," he said.
"I do not want these discussions to become NDC versus NPP. This is a very serious national matter, which is about our destiny, our development, our economic paradigm. We should come to this discussion only based on facts, intellectual rigour," he added.
Cabinet memo
The Minister said the Minority was engaging in duplicity and double standards, saying there was a cabinet memo dated September 11, 2023, on considering the bloc's membership titled "Growing Membership of BRICS".
According to Mr Ablakwa, the memo indicated that Cabinet, at its 56th meeting held on Thursday, September 7, 2023, was briefed by the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, on the country's participation in the 15th BRICS Summit, which President Nana Akufo-Addo attended as an observer.
He said Cabinet, after the briefing, recognised the growing importance of BRICS but acknowledged a lack of information on membership criteria and therefore constituted a ministerial committee.
"In this connection, cabinet constituted a ministerial committee to examine the merits and demerits of joining the BRICS and advise government on the ramifications of the country's membership or otherwise of the bloc," he said, quoting the memo signed by the Secretary to Cabinet, Mrs Mercy Debrah-Karikari, and copied to all ministers on the committee.
Mr Ablakwa listed members of the committee as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration as Chairperson, the Minister of National Security, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Trade and Industry, and the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, with powers to co-opt the Ministers of Energy, Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Food and Agriculture, and Defence.
Committee report
Mr Ablakwa said the committee worked and submitted a report on October 30, 2023, which came to the same conclusion as the current Mahama administration.
Reading from the report, he said, "It is recommended that Ghana acknowledge the importance of the vision that gave birth to the BRICS and express interest in joining. Such an action would be merely intended to position Ghana as a truly non-aligned state".
He said the report added that joining would "create incentives for Western countries to put greater value on its cooperation with the country" and provide an additional forum to pursue national and regional agendas.
Technical committee
Mr Ablakwa said a separate technical committee chaired by Mr Kwabena Osei-Dankwa, Special Advisor to the Foreign Minister, also submitted a report in October 2023 with similar recommendations.
Quoting the technical report, he said, "Ghana acknowledges the importance of the vision that gave birth to the BRICS and expresses prospective interest in joining the bloc. Any membership, were it to happen, will enable the country to influence the foundational principles and priorities of the group while enhancing our continuing commitment to multilateralism and the pacific approach to international peace and security".
He said the technical report also noted that membership "will enhance our influence in determining priorities of the New Development Bank as well as other additional multilateral financing".
