Stop The Politics — Emmanuel Duah Questions Why Passport Scandal Is Being Pinned on Okudzeto
The Executive Director of Radiant Media and Intelligence Hub,
Emmanuel Duah, has questioned attempts to link former Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey’s successor, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to controversies surrounding the alleged sale and issuance of Ghanaian service and diplomatic passports.
Reacting to the controversy on Kessben Maakye show in Accra, Duah recalled that Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa had previously expressed his willingness to submit records relating to accountability during South Africa’s evacuation exercise to the Auditor-General.
He questioned why concerns over the alleged sale of service passports, which reportedly persisted for years, were only now attracting public attention.
Duah also raised questions about the credentials submitted by Alhassan Sumani who was reportedly appointed in 2023 as Foreign Service Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asking who authorised the appointment.
He warned against politicising the controversy to damage political opponents, insisting that accountability must take precedence over partisan interests.
According to him, reports suggesting that 5682 diplomatic passports were issued between 2017 and 2024 raise serious questions about whether all recipients genuinely qualified for them.
“We must all consider the shame that will befall Ghana for issuing diplomatic passports to undeserving people,” he stated.
Duah called for investigations into the issuance of such passports, stressing that anyone found responsible for improperly granting them must be held accountable, regardless of political affiliation.
