A Minority walkout disrupted proceedings in Parliament on Tuesday, November 3, after Speaker Alban Bagbin ordered Damongo MP Samuel Abu Jinapor out of the chamber over an allegation about the sale of diplomatic passports.
Mr Jinapor, who is Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, alleged during proceedings that he had evidence showing some diplomatic passports were being sold for amounts ranging from US$10,000 to US$50,000.
The allegation has not been independently established.
Majority Leader James Agalga challenged the claim and asked the Damongo MP to provide evidence or withdraw it. Speaker Bagbin subsequently gave Mr Jinapor the same directive.
Speaker Orders Jinapor Out
Mr Jinapor initially maintained his position, resulting in a prolonged exchange with the Speaker.
Although he eventually withdrew the allegation, Mr Bagbin ordered the Marshal of Parliament to escort him from the chamber, saying the MP had failed to comply promptly with the Chair’s directive.
The Minority MPs then walked out in solidarity with their colleague.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin later described the Speaker’s action as “harsh, high-handed and unfair,” arguing that the allegation should instead have been referred for investigation.
Diplomatic Passport Debate Deepens
The confrontation comes amid a wider dispute between the opposition and government over the issuance of diplomatic and service passports.
The NPP has recently raised questions about the eligibility of some recipients and called for greater transparency in the issuance process.
Official information on Ghanaian passports states that diplomatic passports are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to eligible officials and other approved persons, while diplomatic and service passports do not attract application fees.
Mr Jinapor’s claim of payments between US$10,000 and US$50,000 therefore remains an allegation requiring evidence or investigation.
The walkout came on the first day of Parliament’s Third Meeting of the Second Session.
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