Ablakwa hints MP retirement ‘soon’

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. says he plans to step away from frontline politics after grooming a new generation of leaders.

The minister, who serves as MP for North Tongu, shared the outlook during a Christmas gathering in Juapong, where he outlined a long-term strategy centred on education as the pathway to future leadership in the constituency.

He said sustained investment in students from basic school to tertiary level was already producing tangible results.

“We are producing engineers, we are producing lawyers, we are producing aeronautical engineers, we are producing future MPs who will take over from me, because I’ll be retiring soon,” Mr Ablakwa told the gathering.

Elected to Parliament in 2012, the North Tongu MP said the progress of students benefiting from educational support programmes gives him confidence about the constituency’s future.

He pointed to expanded infrastructure, including smart classrooms, dormitories and dining halls, alongside funding for mock examinations ahead of the BECE and WASSCE.

According to him, these interventions are paying off, with students excelling at higher levels of study.

“I can confirm to you that one of your predecessors… has graduated with the first class,” he said, referring to a former scholarship beneficiary who completed a degree in aeronautical engineering.

He added that she would soon receive further sponsorship to pursue a master’s programme in the United States.

Mr Ablakwa also used the occasion to caution current beneficiaries to remain focused and accountable.

“When you get it, please don’t be tempted. No diversions. Go straight to your institutions and pay the fees,” he urged.

Beyond the policy message, the MP highlighted the growing scale of his annual Christmas outreach in a post shared on X on Monday.

He described this year’s North Tongu MP’s Annual Christmas Party as “getting bigger, better and more exciting,” noting that over 6,000 children joined the celebration in Juapong.

“I also provided 50 tertiary scholarships for students going back to school in January 2026,” he wrote, adding appreciation for the support he receives. “I thank my dear wife, friends and Volta Regional Minister for the consistent unflagging support.”

Mr Ablakwa said initiatives like the Christmas party and scholarships are part of a broader effort to prepare young people in North Tongu to assume leadership roles across national life, insisting the constituency’s future is steadily being secured.