This hullabaloo about dual citizenship must stop
By Nana Osei Mensah Bonsu
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JAN 7, 2021
Two MPs-elect have been the subject of controversy because of their having dual citizenship. Mr. James Gyakye Quayson won the Assin North Constituency in the just ended elections on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress. Ms. Adelaide Ntim of the National Patriotic Party won in her Constituency, Nsuta-Beposo-Kwamang. There have been calls from certain quarters that they have breached the constitution; but those making the calls better take a second look at the constitution.
According to Article 94, Clause (2a) of the 1992 Constitution, “A person shall not be qualified to be a Member of Parliament if he owes allegiance to a country other than Ghana.” Simply put, one cannot be a Member of Parliament if the person holds another country’s passport or is a citizen of another country. An MP-elect is not a Member of Parliament so there is nothing wrong with having two nationalities at this point. If the person enters Parliament, then she/he becomes a Member of Parliament; and it is at this point that the person will be in breach.