Kennedy Osei Nyarko
The Member of Parliament for Akim Swedru, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, has filed a private members bill in Parliament to amend the Citizenship Act (Act 591).
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was presented on the floor of Parliament house on Thursday, October 28, 2021.
The MP wants the legislature to amend the portion of the Act and the 1992 Constitution that impose restrictions on holders of dual citizenship and other persons who owe allegiance to a country other than Ghana from holding public office.
The First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Wusu, who was presiding, referred the Bill to the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee for consideration and report.
Section 16 of the Citizenship Act says “(1) A citizen of Ghana may hold the citizenship of any other country in addition to his citizenship of Ghana.”
It continues that “(2) Without prejudice to Article 94(2)(a) of the Constitution, no citizen of Ghana shall qualify to be appointed as a holder of any office specified in this subsection if he holds the citizenship of any other country in addition to his citizenship of Ghana.”
The Act named the positions as Chief Justice and Justices of the Supreme Court; Ambassador or High Commissioner; Secretary to the Cabinet; Chief of Defence Staff or any Service Chief; Inspector-General of Police; Commissioner, Custom, Excise and Preventive Service; Director of Immigration Service; and the Commissioner, Value Added Tax Service.
Others are the Director-General, Prisons Service; Chief Fire Officer; Chief Director of a Ministry;
(l) the rank of a Colonel in the Army or its equivalent in the other security services; and (m) any other public office that the Minister may by legislative instrument prescribe.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House