BY Ebunoluwa Olafusi
President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana has stopped all government officials, including ministers, from travelling abroad.
In a memo signed by Akosua Osei-Opare, his chief of staff, the president said the order would be in place “until further notice”.
He said only Ayorkor Botchway, minister for foreign affairs and regional integration, would be allowed to travel.
“The President of the Republic has directed that, all foreign travels by Hon. Ministers, Deputy Ministers, MMDCEs and Heads of Government Agencies be temporarily suspended with immediate effect. Guidelines in respect of future foreign travels aimed at minimizing disruption to Government’s domestic work will be communicated to you shortly,” the memo read.
The reason behind the ban is unclear but it is believed that continual travel by government officials was disrupting the country’s domestic work.
Ohenea Manfo, deputy CEO of the Ghana tourism development company, allegedly resigned because her superiors were traveling too much.
According to her, Kojo Antwi, her superior, preferred to travel abroad regularly and “pocket travel allowances rather than work.”
The last time a similar travel restriction fro government officials was imposed was in December 2015 under the John Mahama government.
He had banned public officials from first-class air travel as part of efforts to cut “wasteful spending”.
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