Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, has schooled the Leader of the Conservative Party in the UK, Kemi Badenoch, following her stance on slave reparations.
According to Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Badenoch’s suggestion that the United Kingdom should have opposed Ghana’s resolution is inconsistent.
Ablakwa noted that the UK, after the abolition of slavery, paid compensation to slave owners rather than to the enslaved people who suffered.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs highlighted that UK taxpayers financed these payments, a financial burden that lasted for generations.
He further explained that the £20 million compensation package in today’s terms has risen to more than £2 billion, all funded by taxpayers.
Ablakwa questioned why Kemi Badenoch is now raising concerns about the taxpayer burden in relation to reparations, when similar concerns were not expressed over compensation to slave owners.
Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs argued that while those who benefited from slavery were compensated, the victims and their descendants received nothing.
Speaking to the media, Ablakwa stated, “What the conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch has said… that’s her opinion, and it is clearly not supported by the facts. If you think about the historical facts which cannot be contested, the slave masters were compensated in the UK”.
“She is concerned about taxpayers. She was not [concerned] about taxpayers paying the slave owners who were compensated because slavery was abolished, and taxpayers, UK taxpayers have been paying until 2015,” Ablakwa added.
“The amount of money they paid, £20 million at a time, could be estimated at today’s value in excess of £2 billion, and UK taxpayers have been burdened with that. They’ve paid the slave masters. Can you believe that? Just for losing the slaves because slavery has been abolished,” he added.
“But the slaves themselves and their descendants were never compensated, and she doesn’t appear concerned about that? That is really, really unfortunate. Really regrettable and unconscionable, I must say. And I do hope that she will take a second look at her history notes,” he said.
Also, Ablakwa has said Africa is not seeking direct financial compensation as part of reparations.
He disclosed that Ghana’s effort for reparations is not a profit-making venture.
Ablakwa added, “As leaders, we are not interested in direct payments to us. This is not a profit-making venture. But there is a need for financial compensation to support courses, empowerment programmes, skills training, capital for entrepreneurs, and all of that, even psychosocial support,” he said.
“I would encourage you to read the CARICOM 10-point plan, which addresses some of these things. Research has even demonstrated that some of the disease burdens which Africans carry trace their roots from how Africans were treated in those ships, in those dungeons, in the forts and castles.”
His comments follow, Kemi Badenoch has boldly stated that Britain shouldn’t be paying for a crime they helped eradicate.
Kemi Badenoch expressed displeasure over the decision by the UK’s representative at the United Nations to abstain from the vote,
According to her, the UK’s representative should have taken a clear position by voting against the resolution.
Kemi Badenoch argued that Britain played a key role in ending slavery and should not be made to pay reparations for helping in ending the practice.
Kemi Badenoch in a post on X on March 26, 2026, “Russia, China and Iran vote with others to demand trillions in reparations from UK taxpayers…and the Labour government abstain! Britain led the fight to end slavery.
Why didn’t Starmer’s representative vote against this? Ignorance…or cowardice? We shouldn’t be paying for a crime we helped eradicate and still fight today.”
Watch the video below:
@dw.africa Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has strongly criticised UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch after she suggested Britain should have opposed the recent UN resolution on slavery. Ablakwa urged the UK politician to revisit the historical record on slavery, emphasizing the importance of accuracy when discussing such sensitive issues. #DWAfricaSocialMedia #ghana ♬ Minimal for news / news suspense(1169746) – Hiraoka Kotaro
Russia, China and Iran vote with others to demand trillions in reparations from UK taxpayers…and the Labour government abstain!
— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) March 26, 2026
Britain led the fight to end slavery.
Why didn’t Starmer’s representative vote against this? Ignorance…or cowardice?
We shouldn’t be paying for a… https://t.co/nWlzBxhb5w