Managing Editor of The Herald newspaper, Larry Dogbey, has criticised Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa for using Facebook to announce the temporary closure of Ghana’s embassy in Washington, D.C., instead of issuing an official government statement.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Tuesday, May 27, Dogbey said a matter of such gravity demanded a formal communication approach. He cautioned that relying on social media for high-level decisions could erode public trust and weaken government credibility.

“This is a very damning thing. You just do not go on your Facebook page and put a thing like that there. Issue an official statement and sign it, or use your PR office and explain what you found and that it is being investigated further. Then it becomes a government statement. But putting it on your Facebook makes you open yourself up for some of this attack,” he stated.

The minister’s announcement, posted on Monday, May 26, revealed that the embassy had been temporarily shut down following the findings of a special audit. The audit uncovered a fraudulent scheme involving abuse of office and financial misconduct at the mission.

According to Ablakwa, the closure is part of a broader effort “to finalise the ongoing restructuring and systems overhaul” within the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s operations abroad.

He described the decision as regrettable but necessary to protect integrity and restore public confidence in Ghana’s foreign service.

However, Dogbey insisted that while the decision itself was laudable, the channel of communication was inappropriate.

“This isn’t a personal issue, it’s a national crisis involving an international mission. The appropriate channel would have been an official press release, backed by the Ministry, to show leadership, transparency, and seriousness,” he said.

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