General News of Wednesday, 10 May 2017
Source: mynewsgh.com
2017-05-10
UK High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin
The outgoing UK High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin is perceived by members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) as a surrogate and a card bearing of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) according to a communications member of the NDC.
“Jon Benjamin is a complete ally of the NPP” former Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Akwasi Ofori Agyeman Boadi claims.
According to the former Obuasi MCE, the UK Commissioner prior to the 2016 polls made several utterances which suggested he likes the NPP more than any other other political party.
Mr Jon Benjamin has been described by NDC functionaries as spokesperson for the NPP campaign team whose intention was to see the NPP in power and therefore describes his conduct as very undiplomatic of any envoy.
The ardent critic of the Mahama led administration also comes under heavy criticisms by NDC members whom they opine always out step his bounds as diplomat.
Commenting on his recent claim of lawmakers in the country allegedly involved in visa racketeering, the former MCE stated “Nobody can convince me he is not if I say he is an NPP sympathizer. I suspect he is even more than that. I believe he might be a card bearing member if you look at his public utterances well”
‘I am now surprise that Mr. Benjamin is calling Members of Parliament fraudsters in acquisition of UK visas” Agyeman Boadi said.
The UK High Commissioner recently cited four Ghanaian lawmakers for alleged visa fraud as they were reported to have used their diplomatic passports through middlemen to apply for visas for some persons who traveled but overstayed during their visits to the UK
Richard Acheampong, MP for Bia East in the Western Region, Joseph Benhazin Dahah, MP for Ntotroso in the Bono Ahafo region, Johnson Kwaku Adu, MP for Ahafo Ano South West, in the Ashanti Region and George Boakye, former MP for Asunafo South in the Bono Ahafo region are said to those who perpetrated the act.
The British High Commissioner in a correspondence to the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Ocquaye that has been leaked according to a leaked letter, said “The British High Commission considers the actions [of the MPs] completely unacceptable. In some cases these behaviours may arguably be criminal in nature,” the letter said.
It added that given what has transpired, the High Commission will “will henceforth only entertain and prioritise requests for visas from MPs, if they are made through the parliamentary protocol office who should verify that there is an official, parliamentary reason for the proposed visit.”
