Weija-Gbawe Member of Parliament (MP) Jerry Ahmed Shaib has voiced strong criticism of what he describes as the lenient issuance of Ghanaian passports under the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

Speaking at the Weija-Gbawe cluster of schools in Accra on Saturday, January 31, where voting was underway for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer race, MP Shaib said, “The Ghanaian passport has become very cheap.

For anybody who jumps in, they will issue passports to the person.

Sometimes the sad part is that they even issue diplomatic passports.”

He singled out Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, claiming that the Minister’s actions reflect lax standards and raising concerns over his potential ambitions to contest for the presidency.

“Okudzeto Ablakwa, the one who is issuing passports all over the place.

He is also thinking of it…So you can imagine, if he becomes president of the Republic of Ghana, every day he will issue passports to anybody who comes to Ghana.

That’s how cheap our passports have become,” he said.

The remarks come after Ablakwa recently approved a Ghanaian passport for American YouTube star Darren Watkins Jr., also known as IShowSpeed, following the streamer’s high-profile visit to the country.

The Minister had praised Watkins for his connection to Ghana and his efforts in promoting African culture globally.

MP Shaib’s comments highlight the growing debate over passport issuance policies and the balance between promoting international engagement and safeguarding national protocols.