The government of Ghana has denied reports making rounds that it paid for over 300 delegates to attend the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, Scotland.
According to the government, Ghana’s delegation to Glasgow was 170 out of which only 24 were sponsored by the government
Following the closure of the summit, a list containing 337 names reportedly representing Ghana’s delegation to the summit went viral on social media as a section of Ghanaians described it as a drain on the national coffers.
However, reacting to the claim, Executive Director of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Henry Kwabena Kokofu, said only 24 persons out of the number were sponsored by the government to attend the summit.
He further clarified that most of the people on the list being bandied about did not travel to Glasgow but participated virtually from their various homes.
Giving details on the list of delegations, Dr. Kokofu explained that “some of the names on the list did not get their visas while others registered just to participate virtually.
He said there were others who couldn’t make it, saying at the end of the day only 170 people participated.
“And these 170 people, most of them are coming from civil society organisations, academia, and the private sector. The government delegation per se amounted to 24 in number.”
He, therefore, described the list being bandied about as Ghana’s delegation as misinformation.
“The 337 that is being bandied around is quite a misinformation. Not all the people who presented themselves for registration were able to attend. There were others who decided to stay back home and attend the conference virtually.
“And of the 170 that registered, it is on and off; people will come in for particular side events or workshops or engage in some negotiations and leave. Of the official 24 that are participating, we had some who left after a week, because their schedules were the first week, they have left or they are leaving, and those who will come in the second week are being welcomed so as we speak today, out of the 170, 40 have left for Ghana already.