A very warm welcome to the Development Talk column, here we talk about issues that we believe when discussed will help propel Ghana to a higher level of development. Issues like the age-old corruption, in many institutions in Ghana and how we can come together as Ghanaians to fight it.
Yes! Fighting corruption indeed looks like a daunting task, but I personally believe that if all Ghanaians decide to come together in unity and tackle it, it will surely be defeated. Remember that in unity lies strength.
So for instance in recent times, I have had many of my friends complain bitterly about the Passport Office in Ghana. Some of these friends who have suffered recently at the passport office sometimes go to the extent of posting their experiences on social media
However, I observed that nothing much happens and the passport office remains the same. The same of story of “Wahala”.
People have to wake up as early as 2:00 AM if they are to apply for a passport; indeed the hassle at the passport office can easily make a pregnant women go into labour.
No one person has been arrested for corruption at the passport office, bribery is going on like no body’s business and an applicant can only get frustrated and that ends it.
Oh how I wish that Ghana could have some “responsible” people responding to issues like corruption at the Passport Office.
I have heard for instance that else where all one needs to do to get a passport is just to post the necessary documents with the official accompanying fees and relax. The passport actually gets posted to you within the stipulated time.
What makes those nations different from our “own dear country Ghana”? Why can’t we just buy the forms, fill and post them to the passport office and wait for a call to come and have one’s biometric data taken? Perhaps Ghanaians would wait forever if we are to implement such a system.
But I have hope that as we continue to talk about this, we will have solutions someday. The Development Talk column will discuss issues such as this and think loudly about viable options that could help our country develop even further.
So do come on board and let’s keep talking…..
Source: Public Agenda
By Mrs Hannah Awadzi
Email at: [email protected]
