Stripping former presidents US protocol Visa disrespectful – MP

The US government’s stripping of protocol visa allocation to top Ghanaian government officials including former presidents and MPs on non-official visits is degrading, the lawmaker for Sekondi, Andrew Egyapa Mercer has stated.

The directive of the US government means that all former presidents including John Dramani Mahama, and John Agyekum Kufuor will have to book an appointment or join a queue like other Ghanaians seeking a visa to visit the United States.

This was made known by the US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson when he met the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament.

But speaking Friday June 23, 2017 on Morning Starr, the Sekondi legislature described the move by the US government as extremely worrying and an insult to the sovereignty of Ghana.

“It is a sign of disrespect to our entire nation,” he passionately told Morning Starr host Francis Abban.

“Immediately you begin touching our former presidents… the next time [they] will even touch our sitting presidents to say that the sitting president will have to appear in person if he requires a visa…It is unfair,” he added.