Circulation of Mahama’s passport an attack on Ghana’s dignity – Atik

The suspended General Secretary of the Peoples National Convention(PNC) Atik Mohammed has urged Ghana’s Foreign Ministry to register its displeasure to the Sierra Leonean government over the public display of ex President John Mahama’s travel details by Sierra Leonean media.

There have been claims on social media indicating that Mr Mahama’s passport was cancelled and asked to leave Sierra Leone after the West African country’s recent elections because he tried rigging the process in favour of opposition candidate Julius Maada Bio.

Former President John Mahama has rubbished the claims however images of his passport details have emerged on social media in relation to his visit to Sierra Leone.

Commenting on the issue on Peace FM Thursday, Atik Mohammed took strong exception to the circulation of the passport details saying its an affront to Ghana’s dignity.”

“I think our Foreign Ministry should take the matter up, they shouldn’t take it lightly at all. This is an attack on the dignity of this country because the former President is a national asset, he can’t be disgrace in this way.”

Meanwhile, Information Minister Mustapha Abdul-Hamid has also condemned the act.

Speaking on Class FM Thursday, he said certain information about public officials and individuals don’t have to be displayed in public especially when the persons involved are high ranking Ghanaian officials.

“When I said that I was outraged about people putting certain stuff on social media, NDC (National Democratic Congress) elements came at me and said that it is legitimate. Today, a former President who basically is the fulcrum around whom the NDC party runs has had his documents all over on social media and they are outraged.



“Really and truly I think there are certain matters that we must come to a consensus about as a nation that they are not good and if they are not good they are not good, putting people’s official documentation and documents that are not meant for social media and so on in the public space.”

According to Mustapha Hamid, people’s confidential documents should be kept as such and not be made public for political or any other reasons.

“We should begin as a nation to draw limits on things that we can use for political advantage and things that when we indulge in will damage our collective moral standing as a nation. I think President Mahama’s passport flying on social media, quite frankly I am not one of the people who is excited about it”