It\u2019s a sunny Monday afternoon. I have under my armpit a brown envelope and standing a few yards from the big gate that serves as an opening to the high walls surrounding the Passport Office at Ridge in Accra. All around me, dozens of people stand- with eyes fixed to the huge gate as though a saviour will soon emerge and grant them salvation.<\/p>\n
More determined young people made up of mostly men have urged forward and standing infront of the gate. Some very frustrated, look like they will push down the gate after waiting for hours without any attention from any official here.<\/p>\n
I look for someone – an official of this place to make enquires about how I can submit an application forms for the renewal of my passport. Everyone here looks like a client. In the thick crowd, some of the young men walked up to people and spoke to them in hushed voices.<\/p>\n
Passport agents! They are transacting businesses.<\/p>\n
As I stand wondering what to do, an old friend approaches me. He is here to submit passport forms too. He had already contacted one \u201cbig man\u201d inside the offices before coming here. He calls the big man on the phone to alert him of his arrival. Soon, the big man emerges from the gate- as people waiting outside push forward to enter the office. They are forcefully pushed back by someone from inside before the gate was closed again.<\/p>\n
The big man seems to be in his sixties. He gives his name as Baba. Baba examines my friend\u2019s forms and attachments and noted they were not complete. \u201cYou have to go and get a biometric birth certificate before we can talk. This one is not accepted here\u201d, he declares.<\/p>\n
My friend moves out of the queue in disappointment. I stare in the eyes of Baba as I hand him my envelope. Everything is intact. \u201cYour own is biometric. You have to pay 300 Ghana Cedis because it is a lot of work\u201d, he announces matter-of-factly. I look at his face. I want to tell him this is not allowed. I have already paid 50 Ghana Cedis for the forms at the bank as required and I have a receipt as proof. I am just here to submit my forms and wait for 3 weeks to receive my processed passport. At least, that is what the law says. But at this juncture, I didn\u2019t think I had any more choices than to probe further. Eventually he said I should rather pay GHC250.<\/p>\n
\u201cjust take my number from your friend and give me a call,\u201d he said and disappeared behind the gate.<\/p>\n
I wait. Thinking. Nothing comes forth. Do I go get money and return or abandon my mission of renewing the passport? I choose to visit the other passport office in the heart of Accra near the Tema Station.<\/p>\n
This office is housed in a huge building with a wall and, thankfully, an opened gate for all to enter. I am excited upon realizing I don\u2019t have to push and shove to make an entry.<\/p>\n
Inside, I meet a crowd. More aggressive than those at the other office. These ones are shouting at each other. Some peeping through windows. Others sit on benches and chairs.<\/p>\n
There is no security man at the gate to direct me. There is no reception. And there is no Enquiry Desk. I walk carefully among the people. No one cares about anybody. There is no body wearing a name tag that I can approach for information on anything.<\/p>\n
In fact the place looks like a market.<\/p>\n
I finally make it through the crowd. Observing as I go along. Hoping someone would walk up and ask my mission. I hope also that there would be a signage somewhere directing me as to which way to go have my concerns addressed. But nothing happens.<\/p>\n
I waded through to the back of the building. A bigger crowd is gathered here. Some talking discretely to agents (Goro Boys as they are called) who are helping them fill out their forms. Twice or thrice, I see money exchange hands.<\/p>\n
I realize one lady in particular is very popular here.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to renew my passport but I don\u2019t know what the procedure is. Can you assist me please?\u201d I say to her as she approached.<\/p>\n
She grabs my envelope. Studies the form briefly and says to me in what seem like a rehearsed tone, \u201cI will help you. It will take some time because I have to go to the head office and request for your form to be released. I will go there tomorrow and get it done for you. When I finish, you will sort me out.\u201d<\/p>\n
I take her number and she soon disappears into the building.<\/p>\n
As I walk out and replayed the 60 seconds or so interaction, I conclude on one thing,<\/p>\n
I HAVE BEEN DUPED!<\/p>\n
I dash back in. I wait for close to 5 minutes but she will not appear. I asked someone to call her out.<\/p>\n
\u201cPardon my asking, but are you a staff here or you are an agent, I don\u2019t want to deal with an agent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, are you afraid? I work here. I\u2019m National Service personnel. \u00a0I will help you,\u201d she reassures me before walking back into the office.<\/p>\n
This is the same facility I visited some 5 years ago to apply for my passport. There was order at the time. The security personnel were around to assist. Within a few hours, I was done with the process and as promised, I got my passport in 3 weeks.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t foresee that happening here this time. To begin with, I\u2019m not even sure my forms are in the right hand. I can\u2019t guarantee the security of my documents and I definitely can\u2019t tell when my renewed passport will be ready- if it ever is at all.<\/p>\n
Weak systems here create room for corruption. If you are frustrated by the queue, you look for the easy way out- bribe some body. It could be an agent or an official. It doesn\u2019t really matter. You just have to part with money.<\/p>\n
A passport is a security document whose processing must go through secured and strict steps. The media always carries reports of Ghanaian passports making their way into the hands of people who aren\u2019t qualified to hold them. But with what I see here, that doesn\u2019t matter any longer. These people here, some have to travel in less than a week. So they pay 100 Ghana Cedis for express processing. But like a caller said on one of the radio stations in Accra, one has to allow for at least, 2 weeks to the expected date of collection.<\/p>\n
Is someone deliberately creating the chaos here so they can send agents among the crowd to extort money? In whose interest is it not to have the broken down machines fixed for quicker processing of the passports?<\/p>\n
Isn\u2019t the state receiving enough money from the citizens to ensure an orderly process at this so called security installation?<\/p>\n
From what I see here, acquiring a passport is as easy as it is difficult and someone definitely wants to see this continue to happen. \u00a0In the end, the loser is a small country in West Africa called Ghana.<\/p>\n
There is a whole government Ministry in charge of processing passports. There are dozens of people paid by the tax payer\u2019s money to ensure these things work well. But they don\u2019t. And the supervisor cares less.<\/p>\n
After all, the supervisor can acquire a diplomatic passport within hours while sitting in the comfort of his cozy office.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
By: Umaru Sanda Amadu\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s a sunny Monday afternoon. I have under my armpit a brown envelope and standing a few yards from the big gate that serves as an opening to the high walls surrounding the Passport Office at Ridge in Accra. All around me, dozens of people stand- with eyes fixed to the huge gate as though […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[8],"yoast_head":"\n