Education minister queues for US Visa as embassy refuses him protocol

The refusal of the US Embassy to extend basic protocol to the Education Minister was made known by veteran journalist, Kwesi Pratt, on Peace FM's Kokrooko Show on Friday.

According to him, he was informed about the minister's embarrassing situation by his friend who saw the minister queuing for the US visa.

"I have received a text message from one big elderly man in Ghana, informing me of he seeing the Minister of Education queuing for a visa at the US Embassy", he said.

He expressed anger over the issue, slamming the US Embassy for embarrassing Ghanaian public officials.

A peeved Mr. Pratt, asked, "Imagine, would a USA minister queue for a Visa to come to Ghana".

"I am so angry, I can't help myself. I mean how, are that inferior to the extent that, our ministers cannot be accorded simple ordinary courtesies accorded to any minister anywhere in the world. What is this? ...... so angry, so angry", he told show host Kwame Sefa Kayi.

The US government in February this year imposed visa restriction on Ghana following a row over the deportation of Ghanaians staying illegally in the United States.

The move affects government employees and politicians.

Meanwhile, Mr Pratt wants the government to take up the matter with the US government.

He said: "Why do we have to reduce ourselves to this level. This must not be allowed. Our government must put his foot down.

"The embassies must show respect to us (ministers). Why do they do that to us? ...Minister for Education, queuing for a Visa?. Why, what at all is he going to do in the US, that is very important for him to go and queue for a Visa?".