Illegal service passports could be aiding drug trafficking at Ghana's airport – Miracles Aboagye

The National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has linked the alleged irregular issuance of Service and Diplomatic Passports to weaknesses in Ghana’s airport security system, arguing that the practice could be facilitating drug trafficking.

He alleged that individuals who do not qualify for the official travel documents could exploit the privileges associated with them to evade thorough security checks at Ghanaian airports.

Speaking on Accra-based JoyNews’ The Pulse programme on Monday, November 9, Miracles Aboagye accused the government of downplaying the seriousness of the alleged passport irregularities by describing them as a systemic problem.

He argued that the Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, should be held accountable for the alleged issuance of Service Passports in 2026 rather than attributing the problem to failures inherited from previous administrations.

“Listen, you have been caught, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the NDC government. You have been caught in 2026, issuing service passports to people and taking money from them in 2026 under your watch,” he said.

“Do you know why we are catching cocaine outside Ghana and not at the airport? It is because people who don't deserve to have diplomatic passport and service passport are ready for take-off,” he further alleged.

The NPP spokesperson further questioned why officials implicated in the alleged irregularities should be treated differently from other public officers facing corruption investigations.

Miracles Aboagye's comments come amid controversy over allegations that some officials facilitated the issuance of Service and Diplomatic Passports to unqualified persons in exchange for money.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said preliminary investigations identified 10 Service Passports allegedly issued irregularly between January 2023 and August 2026.

The documents have since been cancelled, while Acting Director of Passports Mahama Yahaya Amantana and junior Foreign Service Officer Alhassan Sumani have been interdicted and referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigation.

Meanwhile, the NPP Minority in Parliament has alleged that about 300 Ghanaians travelled abroad using improperly obtained Diplomatic and Service Passports and has called for a parliamentary inquiry into the matter.