Henry Kwabena Kokofu
Government is denying reports making rounds that it paid for over 300 delegates to the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, Scotland.
According to government, Ghana’s delegation to Glasgow was 170 out of which 24 were sponsored by government
Following the closure of the summit, a list containing 337 names reportedly representing Ghana’s delegation to the summit went viral on social media as a section of Ghanaians described it as a drain on the national coffers.
However, reacting to the claim, Executive Director of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Henry Kwabena Kokofu, indicated that 24 persons were sponsored by government to attend the summit.
He further clarified that most of the people on the list being bandied about did not travel to Glasgow but participated virtually from their various homes.
Giving details on the list delegations, Dr. Kokofu stressed that “Some of them did not get their Visas, others registered just to participate virtually, others couldn’t make it. By the count of the day we had about 170 people as participants.
“And these 170 people, most of them are coming from civil society organisations, academia and the private sector. The government delegation per say amounted to 24 in number.”
He therefore described the list being bandied about as Ghana’s delegation as misinformation saying that “So the 337 that is being bandied around is quite misinformation. The number that presented themselves for registration not all of them were able to attend, and I have explained: either constraints, others decided to stay back home and do virtual.
“And of the 170 that registered, it is on and off, people will come in for particular side events or workshops or engage in some negotiations and leave. Of the official 24 that are participating, we had some who left after a week, because their schedules were the first week, they have left or they are leaving, and those who will come in the second week are being welcomed, so as we speak today out of the 170, 40 have left for Ghana already.
By Vincent Kubi