The Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, has directed the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament to immediately investigate claims that Ghanaians are being maltreated at some foreign missions in the country.
The Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, had expressed concerns about the plight of many Ghanaians at a number of embassies, noting the “dehumanizing treatment sometimes meted out to many applicants virtually on a daily basis.”
[contextly_sidebar id=”DuxcIArHIiDOBOA4UilEVahY5qQi7k8E”]Mr. Ablakwa also stated on the floor of Parliament that, most embassies have made “no provision for a decent and safe waiting area where visa applicants may be hosted as they wait their turn during visa interview appointments.”
Prof. Mike Oquaye, has as a result, directed the Foreign Affairs Committee to meet and deliberate on the issue, and visit some of the embassies
“Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs shall meet and deliberate on this matter through investigation and interrogation; and armed with a letter from the Speaker’s Office, they shall visit relevant embassies and places, analyse the problem, where necessary with the cooperation of Embassy staff, and our own foreign office, but independent of it, and report back to the House,” the Speaker said.
The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Frank Annor Dompreh, had earlier said that his Committee was aware of the situation, and would team up with the Foreign Affairs Ministry on how best to deal with this worrying trend.
“It has become so important and poignant that we take some important decisions and make some attempts to resolve this concern once and for all,” he said.
Mr. Annor Dompreh indicated the need for a thorough investigation, saying “there are some of these embassies that are doing a very good job and they need to be supported and encouraged.”
The Speaker admitted that, there was a need for cooperation between Parliament and the responsible Ministry, but insisted that, the House would not hesitate to take up issues that concern the interests of Ghanaians.
“I want to emphasize that, we shall always have to cooperate with the appropriate Ministries and agencies, but Parliament will not abandon its inquisitorial role of inquiring into matters that touch, concern and affect Ghanaians,” he said.
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By: Duke Mensah Opoku & Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana