Justin Kodua Frimpong
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the government of issuing diplomatic and service passports to six individuals who allegedly used fabricated or inaccurate public service job titles to secure the travel documents.
The party has since petitioned the United States Embassy in Ghana over the alleged irregularities, calling on the US Mission to strengthen its verification procedures for Ghanaian diplomatic and service passport holders.
In the petition presented by its General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the NPP is asking the embassy to deny visas, visa waivers and diplomatic courtesies to passport holders who cannot substantiate the official positions stated in their applications.
The party alleged that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs approved the passports based on false job titles purportedly associated with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Fisheries Commission.
In a statement explaining the petition, the NPP named three individuals it claimed were falsely presented as senior NADMO officials.
They are Twumasi Francis Kwame, described as Deputy Director of Climate Change; Shaibu Alhassan Abu, listed as Director of Hydro; and Gyabaah Anthony, described as Director of Geologicals.
The party also identified three individuals allegedly linked to fabricated or inaccurate positions at the Fisheries Commission.
They are Bennor Yussif, reportedly listed as Deputy Director of Information Technology; Issah Ayisha, described as Deputy Director and Aquaculture Specialist; and Adom Emmanuel Kwabena, whose stated position was Assistant Finance Manager.
The NPP claimed that some of the positions attributed to the six individuals either do not exist or are not held by them.
It said it had attached photographs of five public officers, identified as Ebenezer Vandyke, Dr. Bertha Kusimi, Bright Atama, Gideon Boakye and Robert Ampadu, to assist the embassy in verifying the identities and positions of those concerned.
According to the party, the attachments would help the embassy cross-check the information and guard against possible identity or biometric fraud.
The NPP said diplomatic and service passports were intended for official state business and that their issuance must be restricted to qualified persons holding genuine public service positions.
It expressed concern that the six cases might not be isolated, alleging that other unqualified individuals could have obtained diplomatic or service passports since the current administration assumed office on January 7, 2025.
The party is therefore asking the US Mission to require direct verification of applications involving official Ghanaian passports issued from that date.
It has also called on the embassy to share relevant information with other US government agencies to establish whether any irregularly issued passports have been used for improper purposes internationally.
The NPP said the petition was intended to protect Ghana’s international reputation and strengthen confidence in the integrity of its official travel documents.
It cited recent international incidents, including the reported seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine by French customs on September 10, 2026, and the interception of 866 parcels of cocaine at the Tema Port in August 2026.
The party also referred to prosecutions of Ghanaian nationals abroad over alleged fraud against elderly victims, arguing that Ghana needed to take steps to protect its standing in the international community.
Beyond the petition, the NPP is demanding that the government immediately cancel diplomatic and service passports issued to individuals who do not hold the official positions stated in their applications.
It has further called for the publication of a comprehensive list of all diplomatic and service passports issued since January 2025, including the names of the holders, their official positions and the legal basis for issuing the documents.
The party wants the entire passport issuance process subjected to an independent investigation led by the Auditor-General or another body operating outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It said the findings should be made public and all passports found to have been irregularly issued recovered, while persons found culpable should be referred for criminal prosecution.
The NPP is also demanding that the government formally notify accredited foreign missions of the findings after the proposed audit, saying this would help restore confidence in Ghana’s official travel documents.
It said it was acting in its capacity as the main opposition party to demand accountability and protect the country’s national integrity.
By Ernest Kofi Adu