Broadcast journalist Lilly Mohammed has descended on Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, over the decision to issue a Ghanaian passport to American streamer IShowSpeed.

Speaking on GH Today, GHOne TV’s morning show, the host expressed strong dissatisfaction with the minister’s action, questioning the justification for granting Ghanaian citizenship to the internet personality after a brief visit to the country.

“Let’s get serious as a country. It’s like we’re not serious at all. Somebody comes to Ghana, he’s a streamer, he’s putting Ghana on the global map, he’s doing whatever. He comes for a day or two, and then you shove a Ghanaian passport into his hands. You’re not serious,” she said.

Lilly Mohammed stated that she could not see the importance of IShowSpeed’s visit that warranted the issuance of a Ghanaian passport.

“You’re not serious. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, you were somebody we had high expectations of. You shoved a Ghanaian passport into the hands of somebody who came here streaming and embarking on his own personal thing. Coming to step on our jollof, jumping on the Black Stars Square, what has that done to our GDP? What has it added to our economy?” she questioned.

The media personality further compared the situation to Ghanaian YouTuber Wode Maya, who has consistently promoted Africa on the global stage, asking whether any country had rewarded him with citizenship for his efforts.

“Wode Maya has been putting Ghana on the map globally. Have you seen America give him an American passport? Even Nigeria, has Nigeria given him a Nigerian passport? You entertain stupidity so much. You’ve given him a Ghanaian passport for what achievement? What has he done for Ghana?” she asked.

She also criticised the public reaction surrounding the visit, particularly an incident where some Ghanaians reportedly ate jollof rice that IShowSpeed had stepped on during his visit.

“You give him a Ghanaian passport because he sat on our jollof, and the moment he steps away, Ghanaians rush to eat it. You are not serious. With the greatest respect, let’s put some value on our passport. Let’s put value on this country,” she stressed.

Lilly Mohammed further lamented the difficulties faced by Ghanaian citizens in acquiring passports, contrasting it with the ease with which the streamer was allegedly granted one.

“Meanwhile, Ghanaians are queuing for passports. Ghanaian citizens born in this country, who by the Constitution are entitled to citizenship, are struggling. You say you have opened the passport system to eliminate goro boys, yet people are still finding it difficult to get a basic passport,” she said.

While clarifying that she had no personal issue with the streamer, she maintained that the decision to issue him a Ghanaian passport was unjustified.

“I have no problem with him. I didn’t even know him until he came to Ghana. It’s a beautiful thing what he’s doing, and it’s risky. For a young man, he’s very bold and deserves a pat on the back. However, to give him a Ghanaian passport, what has he done to deserve it? Let’s get serious in this country, for real,” she concluded.

Background

On Tuesday, January 27, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced that the Ministry had approved the issuance of a Ghanaian passport to popular American streamer and internet personality IShowSpeed. According to the minister, the decision followed confirmation of what he described as the influencer’s “irrefutable ties” to Ghana.

IShowSpeed, an American streamer currently on an African tour highlighting the continent’s culture and lifestyle, arrived in Ghana on Sunday. He was officially welcomed on Monday, January 26, with a traditional Akan naming ceremony held in the Eastern Region.

The High Court in Accra has confirmed that there is no record of a last will belonging to the late highlife musician Charles Kwadwo Fosuh, widely known as Daddy Lumba, at the Probate and Administration Division’s registry.

This confirmation followed an official search conducted as part of the legal process surrounding the administration of the musician’s estate.

According to court documents, the registry search was initiated to determine whether Daddy Lumba had deposited a will with the High Court. The request also sought details such as the date of deposit, the individual who submitted the document, and the lawyer who prepared it, should such a will exist.

However, a formal response from the registry, dated January 19, 2026, at 2:37 pm, stated that no will associated with the late musician is on record. The document, signed and stamped by the Registrar of the Probate and Administration Division, confirmed that the court’s registry holds no such record.

The absence of a registered will indicates that Daddy Lumba’s estate may be administered under Ghana’s intestate succession laws, unless a valid will is produced from another source. This development introduces additional legal considerations for the family and legal representatives managing his affairs.

Daddy Lumba, one of Ghana’s most influential and celebrated highlife musicians, left behind an extensive musical catalogue that continues to shape the country’s music industry. Since his passing, public attention has remained focused on the handling of his estate, reflecting both his stature and the enduring impact of his legacy.

For decades, Ghana has welcomed the world with a single powerful image, the Akwaaba photograph. Displayed at airports, hotels, embassies, tourism fairs, textbooks, billboards, and international events, the image has become one of the country’s most recognisable cultural symbols. Yet, behind this celebrated photograph is a woman whose name, story, and rights were long overlooked: Angelina Nana Akua Oduro.

In a rare and emotional recount, Angelina has revealed that she never knew the commercial value or the amount of money her image generated after it was commercialised and widely distributed.

The Akwaaba image was taken during a period when Ghana was actively branding itself as a hospitable and culturally rich destination. Dressed in traditional attire, with a calabash and a clay pot, gracefully holding a calabash and a clay pot, pouring palm wine in a gesture of warmth and welcome, the young woman in the photo embodied warmth, pride, and identity.

What appeared to be a simple photo session at the time later transformed into a national tourism emblem. The image was reproduced endlessly, printed, digitised, sold, licensed, and displayed without the subject ever being informed of its growing economic and symbolic value.

“I never knew my picture had been commercialised to that extent,” Angelina recounts. “I didn’t know how much it was worth or how much money it was generating.”

As the image gained prominence, Angelina lived her life quietly, unaware that her likeness had become part of Ghana’s global branding machinery. She was never consulted when the image was reused, never credited in most publications, and never compensated for its continuous commercial exploitation.

In some cases, copies of the photograph were sold by third parties, including one Mr Joseph Osae, the photographer who took the picture without her consent or knowledge. For years, she watched as an image of her younger self appeared in public and private spaces, detached from her identity as a living person.

Her story reflects a wider systemic issue within Ghana’s creative and cultural ecosystem, the lack of protection for image rights, models, and contributors to cultural heritage.

Like many creatives and models of her time, Angelina entered the photo session without contracts, legal explanations, or discussions around intellectual property. She trusted the process, unaware of how photography, licensing, and commercial reproduction worked.

“I didn’t understand commercialisation, image rights, or royalties back then,” she explains. “Nobody explained it to me.”

Her experience exposes the imbalance of power between creatives and institutions, where contributors often give value without understanding the long-term implications of their participation.

After many years of quiet observation, Angelina Nana Akua Oduro has finally chosen to tell her story, not driven by anger, but by a desire for recognition, fairness, and reform.

Her testimony has sparked renewed conversations across the creative industry, tourism sector, and policy circles about:

• Image rights and consent
• Ethical use of cultural symbols
• Fair compensation for contributors
• The need for stronger legal frameworks

By speaking out, she has humanised an image that many Ghanaians had come to see as anonymous and institutional.

Angelina is more than the Akwaaba image. She is a woman whose contribution helped shape Ghana’s international identity, even if that contribution went unacknowledged for years.

Her story now stands as a cautionary tale and a call to action for photographers, institutions, brands, and policymakers to protect the rights of individuals whose faces, bodies, and identities are used to tell national stories.

Today, the Akwaaba image carries a deeper meaning. It is no longer just a symbol of welcome; it is a reminder that behind every powerful cultural icon is a human being who deserves recognition, respect, and equity.

As Ghana continues to promote its creative economy and cultural heritage, Angelina Nana Akua Oduro’s story urges the nation to do better to ensure that no contributor to its identity is ever left unseen again.