NPP asks US Embassy to suspend recognition of Ghanaian diplomatic and service passports issued since January 2025

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on the United States Embassy in Accra to suspend recognition of Ghanaian diplomatic and service passports issued since January 2025, pending full disclosure and an independent audit.

The party alleges that some of the passports were issued to individuals who do not occupy the public offices that qualified them to receive the travel documents.

In a letter dated October 30 and signed by its General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the NPP urged the US Mission to suspend the granting of visas, visa waivers and diplomatic or official recognition to holders whose passports were allegedly obtained through false claims about their official positions.

The party based its concerns on 2 letters from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, signed on behalf of the Minister by the Chief Director, which approved service passports for 6 individuals described as officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Fisheries Commission.

However, the NPP claims that investigations conducted by the party indicate that none of the beneficiaries holds the positions attributed to them in the approval letters. It further alleges that 2 of the positions mentioned do not exist.

The individuals named in the correspondence are Twumasi Francis Kwame, Shaibu Alhassan Abu, Gyabah Anthony, Issah Ayisha, Bennor Yussif and Adom Emmanuel Kwabena.

The party also argued that the officials who legitimately occupy the positions cited in the letters were not included in the Ministry's records. It said photographs of the actual officeholders had been attached to its letter to help the Embassy verify the identities of anyone presenting passports issued under the disputed approvals.

"On the face of the Ministry's own correspondence, these approvals rest on a misdescription of the applicants' positions, and the passports issued on them are irregular," the letter stated.

The NPP further expressed concern that the alleged practice could extend beyond the 6 cases identified, indicating that it would notify other diplomatic missions of additional instances as they are verified.

To support its concerns about Ghana's international reputation, the party cited recent incidents, including the seizure by French customs of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a container of plastic waste shipped from Ghana, as well as several romance fraud cases prosecuted in foreign jurisdictions.

It urged the US Embassy to subject applications involving Ghanaian diplomatic and service passports issued from January 7, 2025, to additional scrutiny. This, it said, should include direct confirmation with the relevant Ghanaian authorities and verification of each holder's position with their employing institution.

Beyond its request to the US Mission, the NPP called on the Ghanaian government to withdraw diplomatic and service passports issued to individuals who do not occupy the qualifying positions.

It also demanded the publication of a comprehensive list of all such passports issued since January 2025 and an independent audit of the process under the leadership of the Auditor-General.

"The NPP makes this request with regret and in the national interest. It is not our wish to inconvenience genuine officials of the State travelling on legitimate business, and we believe that a prompt and transparent audit will allow normal courtesies to resume quickly," the letter stated.