The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ghana has appealed to the United States to deny entry to individuals who have been issued with Ghanaian diplomatic and service passports based on public positions they do not hold. According to the NPP, six individuals were granted service passports after being described as officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Fisheries Commission, despite claims that they did not hold the positions stated in the applications.
In a letter to the relevant authorities, the NPP raised concerns about what it described as a threat to the integrity of Ghana's travel documents and international security. The party argued that diplomatic and service passports are issued based on the official positions held by their bearers and should only be used by persons whose duties require official travel. The NPP emphasized that a Ghanaian diplomatic or service passport is issued because of the office its bearer holds.
The NPP specifically cited three persons listed in correspondence relating to the Fisheries Commission. Issah Ayisha was described as a “Deputy Director, Aquaculture Specialist”, although the party claimed no such deputy director position existed. Bennor Yussif was also listed as “Deputy Director, Information Technology”, a position the NPP said was held by another officer, while Adom Emmanuel Kwabena was described as an “Assistant Finance Manager”, which the party claimed was not a position at the Commission.
The party said it had attached photographs of officers it identified as the actual holders of some of the positions to enable authorities to compare them with individuals presenting passports issued under the approvals. The NPP argued that a passport cannot be for official use where its bearer holds no office that calls for official travel. This, the party claimed, posed risks not only to Ghana's reputation but also to countries that recognise and honour Ghanaian diplomatic and service passports.
The NPP further alleged that the six cases were not isolated and said it had reason to believe that other diplomatic and service passports may have been issued to individuals based on positions they did not hold or positions that did not exist. The party said it would bring further cases to the attention of diplomatic missions as they were confirmed.
The NPP said it was raising the matter as part of its responsibility as the main opposition party to hold the government accountable. The party called for a transparent account of diplomatic and service passports issued since the current administration assumed office in January 2025.
The allegations have not yet been publicly responded to by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the government. The NPP's concerns have been raised in a letter to the relevant authorities, urging them to scrutinise holders of the passports before granting them entry.
Key points
- The NPP has appealed to the US to deny entry to individuals with allegedly irregular Ghanaian service passports.
- The party claims six individuals were issued service passports based on positions they did not hold.
- The NPP is calling for a transparent account of diplomatic and service passports issued since January 2025.
