The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said government’s delegation to the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, Scotland is not up to 337.
According to Henry Kwabena Kokofu, officially, the country was represented by 24 delegates.
In an interview on Accra-based Asaase Radio, he explained that Ghanaians present at the event in Glasgow were private individuals, private sector representatives, people from academia, and those representing Civil Society Organisations.
He, therefore, called for calm, noting that the government did not pay for 337 representatives as is being peddled on social media. Mr Kokofu added that the national coffers are not being emptied in the process.
“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,” he said.
“And these 170 people, most of them are coming from civil society organisations, academia, and the private sector. The government delegation per se amounted to 24 in number,” he added.data:
Henry Kokofu stated that the number being peddled on social media as the government’s official delegation is simply an orchestration to misinform the Ghanaian people.
He advised Ghanaians to ignore and treat the claims with contempt.
“So the 337 that is being bandied around is quite a misinformation. The number that presented themselves for registration not all of them were able to attend, and I have explained: either constraint, 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,” he stated.
