Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has slammed the Akufo-Addo led government over the travel ban imposed on government appointees.
According to the outspoken journalist, government spokespersons are peddling lies to win admiration for the government explaining that there is no existing travel guide for political and government appointees.
His comments comes after government’s decision to place a temporal travel ban on all ministers, deputy ministers, metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) and heads of government agencies.
In a strict memo signed by the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, to all government appointees stated that only the Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey is exempted from the directive.
The memo added that guidelines in respect of future foreign travels aimed at minimizing disruption to Government’s domestic work will be communicated shortly.
However, the veteran journalist insisted that there is an existing travel guide from the 1970’s which spells out how much per diem or allowances and hotel bills a public official takes when he travels.
Speaking on Accra based Radio Gold, Mr. Pratt stated; “There are rules covering all those already and it is not true that nothing of that nature exists and that people travel at their own will. It is not true.”
He added it will be deceitful for government spokespersons led by the Minister of Information, Dr. Mustapha Hamid to put across such information because no government official can travel outside the country without the express permission from the Jubilee House.
“If such travels have become destructive, then there’s an issue at the flagstaff house because they grant permission for ministers, deputy ministers, etc to travel. You cannot travel outside this jurisdiction without permission and if anybody has travelled outside this country without permission then it is a serious offence in the public service and in the civil service,” he stated
