Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has expressed heartfelt appreciation to all who extended birthday wishes to him, despite what he described as a "heavy heart" in a time of mourning.

The Foreign Minister and lawmaker revealed that the day, which coincided with a period of profound sorrow, was not one for celebration but rather for honouring the memory of his late brother, Dr.

Edward Kofi Omane Boamah - a confidante and close ally. "It is only appropriate and courteous that I offer my sincerest gratitude to you all for your kind birthday wishes yesterday - even though our heavy hearts and state of profound sorrow could certainly not have made it possible for a joyous commemoration," he wrote in social media post sighted by MyNewsGh.

To mark the day, the minister chose an act of kindness in his brother's memory, settling the medical bills of children admitted at the 37 Military Hospital, including that of a baby who urgently required surgery for life-threatening burns.