A former Interior Minister under the John Mahama’s administration and Member of Parliament (MP) for Navrongo Central Mark Owen Woyongo says he is yet to return his “missing” diplomatic passport to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration as mandated.
His admissions follow threats by the government to revoke all diplomatic passports still in the hands of former appointees of the John Mahama administration.
“I haven’t returned my diplomatic passport to the state because I can’t find it and as soon as I find it I will return it to the appropriate quarters, ” Woyongo told Adom News’ Abednego Asante Asiedu in a telephone interview.
“I used to live in my official state bungalow at Cantonment in Accra, when I was parking out to my private residence, I misplaced it but immediately I find it I will return” the former minister stressed.
Mark Woyongo stated that he is not using the diplomatic passport since the change of government and transition process.
“I have travelled three times after the change of government and I used my regular passport, not my diplomatic passport, I recently traveled to Nigeria just two weeks ago and I didn’t use the diplomatic passport.
Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey told Joy News that those officials still holding on to the passports risk being embarrassed if they fail to return them.
She stated that a formal notification was issued early this year for all former appointees and ex-MPs to turn in their diplomatic passports.
Ayorkor Botchwey told Joy News the deadline for the return of the state property has elapsed.
But speaking with Adom News, Mark Woyongo said he will return the passport if he finds his missing passport to the state.
Play attached audio for more
Meanwhile, a former Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour Relations and former MP for Akwatia, Baba Jamal said he returned his diplomatic passport to the state before the deadline the state issued to the former ministers.
Baba Jamal has dared the Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey to name and shame those former ministers under ex-President John Mahama who still have the diplomatic passports in their custody.
However, former NDC MP for North Dayi, George Loh indicates that he facilitated the return of all former NDC MPs diplomatic passports.