Ghana dey sell diplomatic and service passport give pipo wey no qualify?

Opposition lawmakers for Ghana Parliament dey demand for parliamentary investigation into di alleged sale and irregular issuance of diplomatic and service passports for di kontri.

Dis dey come afta dem raise alarm about wetin dem describe as 'sale of diplomatic and service passport' for di kontri foreign ministry.

Dem say dem get strong evidence of pipo wey use money buy dis passports wen dem no qualify to use am.

Di Ranking Member on Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, during one news conference on Sunday, 8 November allege say some pipo dey collect fake govment positions and dem dey issue passports give dem.

"We get receipts and transaction IDs of pipo wey buy dis diplomatic and service passports," NPP tok.

Oga Jinapor demand "full-scale investigation" into di mata.

"Up to 300 pipo don use dis passports to travel" – Ghana minority allege

Last week for di floor of di parliament, Jinapor allege say one cartel for di foreign ministry dey allegedly sell dis passports for $10k to $50k.

E say di cartel involve officials for di kontri foreign ministry plus oda intermediaries for di passport office.

Speaker of parliament Alban Bagbin, however, ask am to provide evidence or withdraw di allegation.

Di speaker later order di lawmaker to comot di chamber, if e no go withdraw di allegation.

For di floor of di plenary, di opposition allege say di pipo bin use one travel and tour company to facilitate di business – dem give pipo fake govment posts wey dem use to prepare di passports for dem.

E add say "about 300 pipo don travel to Europe and oda places wit dis passports dem get from dis illegal arrangement."

"Some of di documents we get dey show approval letters in di name of di minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; di chief director for di ministry bin allegedly approve some of dis service and diplomatic passports," oga Samuel Jinapor explain.

Dem say dem go soon file motion make parliament set up committee to chook eye for

Ghana foreign ministry indict at least two officers

Ghana foreign ministry for statement confam say investigation dey ongoing on di mata afta two pipo file petition against some of dia officers, and dem don indict some officials.

"Di acting director of passports, Mahama Yahaya Amantana don dey interdicted afta di first petition for 8 October dis year.

"One junior foreign service officer Alhassan Sumani wey dem mention for all di petitions as di pesin wey work as goro boy for 2023 bifor dem recruit am for di foreign service for 29 November 2024, also dey interdicted," di ministry add.

Di foreign ministry also confam say dem don refer two oda officers to di Ghana Police Service for "investigation and prosecution".

Meanwhile, di ministry say dem don cancel di service passports of 10 pipo wey dia investigation confam say dem get am illegally thru di cartel afta dem pay money for 2023.

"We don alert our international partners about di owners of dis passports, dem no fit use am," di ministry tok.

Di ministry explain say di cartel don dey di system even bifor di current govment begin work for 2025.

"We go ensure say di pipo wey dey behind dis go face justice, we dey promise transparency and accountability for dis mata."

For di mata wey involve diplomatic passports – di minority for parliament and opposition party allege say di cartel also bin sell diplomatic passports.

But di foreign ministry for dia statement deny dis one.

"We no get any evidence so far wey show say pipo bin dey sell diplomatic passport; wetin we dey investigate na service passport, no be diplomatic passport."

"Dis passport-for-sale scandal go hurt Ghana credibility" – Adib Saani

Plenty reactions don trail di mata even for di middle of investigation.

Sabi pipo say dis scandal go cause Ghana plenti wahala for di international stage.

Foreign policy analyst and executive director for di Jatikay Center for Human Security and peacebuilding Adib Saani dey worry.

"Dis tin fit hurt di credibility of di kontri. Oda govments go begin doubt our passport controls, wey fit make dem put tight visa checks or extra verification for travellers," Adib Saani tell BBC News Pidgin.

"Dis dey give di impression say our institutions for dis kontri dey tolerate corruption," e add.

However, e welcome some of di measures di ministry don take to handle am.

"Di good news na di quick cancellation of dis illegal and forged service passports, also di fact say independent investigation dey go on and prosecution go happun, fit re-assure di kontris partners."

Oga Saani finally tell BBC say "di international community go judge Ghana by how effectively di kontri respond to dis case."

Wetin Ghana constitution tok about service and diplomatic passports

According to Ghana constitution, service and diplomatic passports no be for everybody.

For section 6 of di passports and travel certificate Act, 1967 (NLCD 155), na only some group of pipo dey eligible for diplomatic passports.

Dis dey reserved for specific categories of pipo we include govment officials wey bin dey travel for official business, diplomatic and consular officers, heads of official delegation and oda ogbonge citizens and high-profile officers.

Dis also dey cover spouses of some of dis ogbonge govment officials and high-ranking public officers.

Di oda type of privileged passport wey be di service passport also get im own privileges.

For section 7 of di passports and travel certificate Act, 1967 (NLCD 155), service passports na for public officers and oda Ghanaians wey dey travel aboard strictly for official state business.

Pipo wey qualify for service passports na those wey bin dey employed or dey serve for official govment capacity, ministries among odas.

Unlike normal passports wey dey available to every citizen of di kontri and valid for up to 10 years, service passports dey strictly tied to active govment employment or assignment.