COP26 Summit: Government denies sending over 300 delegates

The government has denied reports making rounds that Ghana sent over 300 delegates to the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, Scotland.

A list containing 337 names reportedly representing Ghana’s delegation to the summit went viral on social media over the weekend as a section of Ghanaians described it as a “drain on the national coffers.”

However, speaking to Nana Yaa Mensah on The Asaase Breakfast Show from Glasgow on Monday (8 November), the executive director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Henry Kwabena Kokofu, said the government only sent 24 out of the 170 delegates to the summit.

“Some of them did not get their Visas, others registered just to participate virtually, others couldn’t make it. By the count of the day we had about 170 people as participants,” Kokofu said.

“And these 170 people, most of them are coming from civil society organisations, academia and the private sector. The government delegation per say amounted to 24 in number,” he stressed.

Misinformation
Kokofu described the number being bandied about as Ghana’s delegation as misinformation.

“So the 337 that is being bandied around is quite misinformation. The number that presented themselves for registration not all of them were able to attend, and I have explained: either constraints, others decided to stay back home and do virtual.

“And of the 170 that registered, it is on and off, people will come in for particular side events or workshops or engage in some negotiations and leave. Of the official 24 that are participating, we had some who did out of the week, because their schedules were the first week, they have left or they are leaving, and those who will come in the second week are being welcomed, so as we speak today out of the 170, 40 have left for Ghana already,” Kokofu added.

Source: Asaaseradio