Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent out a strong reminder regarding the recall of diplomatic and service passports issued during the previous government.
This comes after the Ministry made a public notice on January 15, 2025, in response to a directive from the Office of the President.
According to the Ministry, 404 Diplomatic Passports and 387 Service Passports are still in circulation as passport holders have not turned in their passports after the initial publication.
By March 17, 2025, members of the affected groups must turn in their passports to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Legal and Treaties Bureau.
The categories of individuals required to surrender their passports include:
– Former Ministers and Spouses
– Former Members of Parliament irrespective of political affiliation
– Former members of the Council of State and Spouses
– Former/Retired Justices of the Superior and Lower Courts
– Former Regional Ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executive Officers of State Institutions, Chairs and Members of Boards
– Officials of the National Cathedral Project
– Former Political Ambassadors and Dependents
– Businessmen and Entrepreneurs
– Former Government Functionaries
– All other persons holding official passports not currently serving in any official capacity for the State, or otherwise holding any position that falls under the requirements of Sections 6 and 7 of the Passports and Travel Certificates Act, 1967, NLCD 155
The Ministry has said unequivocally that any passports falling under these categories that are not turned in by the deadline would be revoked and added to the Stop-Watch List. This could lead to their seizure at any point of entrance or departure into Ghana.
KA
Meanwhile, watch this Ghana Month special edition of People and Places as we hear the story of how the head of Kwame Nkrumah’s bronze statue was returned after 43 years, below:
