The presidency’s decision to recall all diplomatic and service passports is a step in the right direction, former Member of Parliament for Buem, Daniel Asiamah has observed.
He said it was important for the new administration to get a grip of the situation before any re-issuance could be done.
On Wednesday, President John Dramani Mahama’s office directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to recall previously issued diplomatic and service passports during the erstwhile administration.
The directive, the presidency noted, was to ensure that such passports are appropriately used in a manner befitting due standards.
Conmenting on the development during the Weekly Review segment on Starr FM, Mr. Asiamah said the decision of the president was justified.
“It is right to manage the system. It is right for the president today to know who is holding the diplomatic passport and going out there to represent in the name of Ghana. So this one is just an administrative process that I think is okay,” the former National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament said.
He added that he hoped to be considered when the diplomatic passports are reissued in the near future.
The presidency outlined a process the Passport Office needed to consider for re-issuance of the coveted passports.
“Issue a Public Notice: Notify all holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports issued by the previous administration to return these documents to the Ministry for verification and re-issuance, where applicable.
“Set a Deadline for Compliance: Specify a reasonable timeline for all concerned Individuals to comply with the recall latest by 24th January, 2025.
“Conduct Verification: Undertake a thorough review of all returned passports to ensure that they align with the current eligibility criteria for issuance,” the letter rolled out.
