NPP MPs urge Mahama to consider suspensions over alleged passport irregularities
Five NPP MPs are urging President John Mahama to consider suspending officials with primary responsibility for an alleged scheme involving the sale and irregular issuance of Ghanaian diplomatic and service passports.
Five Members of Parliament from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have urged President John Mahama to consider suspending officials involved in an alleged scheme of passport irregularities. The motion, a private members' proposal, calls for a parliamentary investigation into allegations that unqualified individuals obtained Ghanaian diplomatic and service passports through false representations and payments to officials via intermediaries.
The suspended officials would be those primarily responsible for the scheme, pending the investigation's completion.
The applicants for the motion are Samuel A. Jinapor (Damongo MP), Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh (Bosome Freho MP), Patrick Yaw Boamah (Okaikwei Central MP), Laurette Asante Korkor (Atiwa West MP), and Daniel Nana Addo-Kenneth (Okere MP). They propose a nine-member committee with representation from both Majority and Minority caucuses to investigate the alleged sale of passports, false official designations, and potential supervision failures.
The motion cites five approval letters dated between June and August 2026, all related to service passports for 22 individuals purportedly holding positions at five public institutions, including the National Disaster Management Organisation, Fisheries Commission, Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, Akrofuom District Assembly, and Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training Service.
The MPs allege that some beneficiaries do not hold the positions they claim. Supporting evidence includes payment slips and electronic transaction records showing people allegedly paying government officials through intermediaries to obtain passports.
The misuse of the passport system allegedly extends to travel, with approximately 300 Ghanaians reportedly using irregularly issued diplomatic and service passports to bypass visa requirements in Europe. The MPs warn that this abuse could undermine foreign confidence in Ghana's travel documents and affect legitimate official travel.
They also request that the Foreign Affairs Ministry suspend all diplomatic and service passport issuance until the inquiry is concluded. The proposed committee would review approvals and issuances from January 7, 2025, to the motion's adoption, with a 60-day reporting period from its first meeting. The motion emphasizes the need for affected individuals to have a fair opportunity to respond to the allegations.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
