NPP MPs urge Mahama to consider suspensions over alleged passport irregularities

Five NPP MPs are urging President John Mahama to consider suspending officials with primary responsibility for an alleged scheme involving the sale and irregular issuance of Ghanaian diplomatic and service passports.

The request forms part of a private members’ motion seeking a parliamentary investigation into allegations that unqualified people obtained the passports through false representations and payments to officials through intermediaries.

The proposed suspensions would be precautionary, pending the investigation.

The motion “Urges the President to consider the precautionary suspension of officials with primary responsibility for the scheme, to safeguard the investigation’s integrity.”

The applicants are Damongo MP Samuel A. Jinapor, Bosome Freho MP Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, Okaikwei Central MP Patrick Yaw Boamah, Atiwa West MP Laurette Asante Korkor and Okere MP Daniel Nana Addo-Kenneth.

They want Parliament to establish a nine-member committee drawn from the Majority and Minority caucuses. It would investigate the alleged sale of passports, false official designations and possible failures in supervision.

The motion cites five approval letters dated between June and August 2026. They concern service passports for 22 people described as officials of five public institutions.

The MPs allege that some beneficiaries do not hold the positions attributed to them.

The institutions include the National Disaster Management Organisation, Fisheries Commission and Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council. The others are the Akrofuom District Assembly and Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training Service.

The motion also cites accounts from people who allegedly paid government officials through intermediaries to obtain diplomatic and service passports. It lists bank payment slips and electronic transaction records as supporting evidence.

The alleged misuse extends to travel. According to reports cited in the motion, approximately 300 Ghanaians are in Europe after allegedly using irregularly issued diplomatic and service passports to circumvent visa requirements.

The MPs warn that abuse of the passport system could undermine foreign authorities’ confidence in Ghana’s travel documents and affect legitimate official travel.

They also want the Foreign Affairs Ministry to suspend all diplomatic and service passport issuance until the inquiry ends.

The proposed committee would review approvals and issuances from January 7, 2025, to the motion’s adoption. It would have 60 days from its first sitting to report.

The motion calls for a fair opportunity for affected persons to respond to the allegations. Its requests remain proposals for Parliament to consider.