The Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu has urged MPs to stop abusing privileges they have in acquiring visa in order to maintain their dignity at the various embassies.
He was supporting a statement made on the floor of Parliament by the Ranking Member of Foreign Affairs Committee Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Okudzeto Ablakwa had vigorously demanded respect and fair treatment from foreign embassies in Ghana. He also criticised the de-humanizing treatment that are sometimes meted out to Ghanaian visa applicants.
The MP observed that it is “sad” that most of these embassies have made no provisions for descent and safe waiting area where visa applicants may be hosted while they wait for their turn during visa interview appointments.
“I have personally made the effort to visit a number of Embassies during their interview appointment periods, and what I have observed leaves me rather outraged. You find fellow Ghanaians standing in open places, some left to wait at street shoulders and roundabouts with no one caring about the associated risk posed by motorists, others left at the mercy of the vagaries of the weather,” underscored.
According to him, “these Embassies couldn’t be bothered if the sun is scorching, if it’s raining or even if there is a category five hurricane, they simply don’t seem to care.”
The Minority Leader, who weighed into the issue, was categorical: “If they want to treat us with honour, we must treat them with honour; if they will not respect us we owe them no respect.”
He equally accused Ghana’s missions outside of not treating Ghanaians abroad well.
The Minority Leader called on colleague legislators, government and stakeholders to work and improve on “our own little conditions in Ghana to earn us the dignity we deserve.”
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