By Benjamin Makafui Attipoe, Ho

The Community Focus Foundation Ghana (CFF-Ghana) has welcomed the readiness of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to brief Parliament on the interdiction of the Director of Passports, Mr. Yahaya Amantana Mahama, over alleged irregularities in the issuance of service passports.

The Foundation described the Minister’s decision to account to Parliament as a step in the right direction, stressing that accountability in a democratic society must be pursued through Parliament rather than press conferences and public exchanges of accusations.

In a press release issued in Accra on Monday, November 9, 2026, and signed by its Executive Director, Mr. Richard Kasu, CFF-Ghana also commended Mr. Ablakwa for swiftly interdicting the Director to allow for thorough investigations into the allegations.

According to the Foundation, the decision demonstrates responsible leadership, noting that public officials facing allegations of wrongdoing should be allowed to step aside while investigations establish the facts.

CFF-Ghana, however, expressed concern about what it described as confusion in the public domain surrounding the passport controversy, particularly allegations that diplomatic passports were being sold for amounts ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.

It also cited claims that service passports had been issued to individuals whose official designations allegedly did not correspond with their positions at the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Fisheries Commission.

The Foundation further noted the existence of counterclaims concerning the recruitment of officials and the circumstances surrounding their appointments.

It maintained that a comprehensive briefing by the Foreign Affairs Minister to Parliament would be necessary to distinguish established facts from misinformation and conflicting accounts.

The Foundation is therefore urging the Minister to clarify the specific allegations against the interdicted Director, establish whether the controversy involves diplomatic passports, service passports or both, and explain the measures being taken to safeguard Ghana’s passport system and its international credibility.

CFF-Ghana has also called on Parliament, particularly the Foreign Affairs Committee, to subject the Minister’s briefing to thorough and bipartisan scrutiny without unnecessary political theatrics or walkouts.

Additionally, it has appealed to all relevant stakeholders to refrain from petitioning foreign embassies with the intention of discrediting Ghanaian passports while investigations remain ongoing.

According to the Foundation, such actions could undermine the credibility of Ghana’s travel documents and negatively affect the interests of Ghanaians generally.

CFF-Ghana emphasised that if wrongdoing was established, the law must take its course, while the reputation of the interdicted Director should be restored if investigations found no evidence of misconduct.

It stressed that accountability must be fair, transparent, evidence-based and applied without discrimination.

The statement was signed by Mr. Richard Kasu, Executive Director of CFF-Ghana.

CFF-Ghana welcomes Ablakwa’s readiness to brief parliament on interdicted passport director

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