Stop dragging foreign missions into Ghana’s politics – Kwame Anthony tells NPP

A Deputy National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Julius Kwame Anthony, has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of attempting to undermine Ghana’s international reputation through its petition to the United States over the issuance of diplomatic and service passports.

He described the party’s action as an attempt to deny Ghanaian government officials the courtesies they deserve when dealing with foreign missions because the NPP is no longer in power.

The NPP has petitioned the US Mission in Ghana to suspend diplomatic courtesies for holders of Ghanaian diplomatic and service passports it alleges were issued irregularly.

In a letter dated October 30 and signed by its General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the party cited six individuals whose service passports were approved as officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Fisheries Commission.

The party alleged that some of the beneficiaries did not occupy the positions attributed to them in approval letters issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while some of the positions did not exist.

Reacting to this on Accra-based Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme on Monday, November 2, Kwame Anthony criticised the NPP for involving foreign missions in an issue he believes should be addressed through Ghana’s domestic institutions.

He accused the opposition party of pursuing a political agenda that could undermine the respect accorded to Ghanaian officials abroad.

“That same political party today is writing to the US Embassy and other embassies that they should withdraw courtesies to Ghanaian government officials. Really, the state of Ghana should lose the sort of respect that is accorded it internationally simply because the NPP does not have power?" he asked.

Kwame Anthony also questioned the basis of the NPP’s petition, arguing that foreign missions do not determine who qualifies for Ghanaian diplomatic or service passports.

The NDC communicator cited the Passports and Travel Certificates Act, 1967 (NLCD 155), particularly Sections 6 and 7, which provide for the issuance of diplomatic and service passports respectively.

According to him, the law gives the Minister of Foreign Affairs discretion to issue service passports to public officers and other citizens travelling on official government business who do not qualify for diplomatic passports.