Prominent Ghanaian televangelist Dr. Lawrence Tetteh, has urged holders of diplomatic and service passports to stay composed and not take the government’s recent recall personally.
The directive, issued by the current administration, mandates the retrieval of all diplomatic and service passports distributed under the previous government of former President Nana Akufo-Addo. Officials state that this move is intended to ensure the proper use of official travel documents in line with both national and international regulations.
Dr. Tetteh characterized the recall as a standard procedure, highlighting that similar measures were previously taken under former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Akufo-Addo.
“Diplomatic passports are meant for official state business. When individuals are no longer in office or holding a position that requires such a document, it’s only logical for the passport to be recalled,” he said.
Dr. Tetteh questioned the need for individuals who are not serving as Members of Parliament to retain diplomatic passports.
He also pointed out that most holders of diplomatic passports also possess ordinary passports, which can be used for personal travel. In fact, ordinary passports often have longer visa validity compared to the shorter terms typically associated with diplomatic passports.
Encouraging those affected to approach the situation with understanding, Dr. Tetteh emphasized that such recalls are a standard part of government transitions. He reminded passport holders that future recipients of these documents will also face recalls when their terms come to an end.
His remarks come as the government works to streamline the issuance and management of official travel documents as part of broader governance reforms.
