MPs travel privileges withdrawn

Government has withdrawn all travel privileges to Members of Parliament.

This means MPs will now have to make their own arrangements when they are on official duties abroad.

A letter signed by the Director of Protocol, addressed to Parliament and sighted by Joy News said Ghanaian Embassies abroad will no longer offer MPs and other public officials the diplomatic services they have been enjoying since the inception of constitutional rule.

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament Emmanuel Kwasi Bandoah told Joy News’ Parliamentary correspondent Elton Brobbey, the decision is disrespectful to Parliament.

He said members will resist its implementation.

Per the letter signed by the protocol director, only the leadership of Parliament would be granted such privileges but Kwasi Bandoah said that is not acceptable.

“We felt that it is not fair that other MPs who travelled on official duties will be denied protocol services.

“That will hamper the effective performance of our duties,” he stated.

He said the decision was taken as a result of the cost implications involved.

Former Ghana ambassador to the United Kingdom Isaac Osei who is now the ranking member on the Foreign Affairs committee believes the letter is flawed and must be rejected.

The Foreign Affairs ministry has declined comment on the matter.

-joynews

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ABOUT: Nana Kwesi Coomson

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An Entrepreneur, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Communications Executive and Philanthropist. Editor-in-Chief of www.233times.com. A Senior Journalist with Ghanaian Chronicle Newspaper. An alumnus of Adisadel College where he read General Arts. His first degree is in Bachelor of Arts - Political Science (major) and History (minor) from the University of Ghana. He holds MSc in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Energy with Public Relations (PR) from the Robert Gordon University in the United Kingdom. He is a 2018 Mandela Washington Fellow who studied at Clark Atlanta University in USA on the Business and Entrepreneurship track.

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