The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has officially opened a historic passport application centre in the Upper East Region. This region has been without a passport application centre for over 65 years, since its designation as Upper Regions on July 1, 1960, by the PNDC, and later as Upper East Region in 1983.
Hon. Ablakwa informed the press that there are currently seven regions in Ghana without passport application centres. With the commissioning of the Upper East Regional Passport Application Centre, that number will reduce to six.
He emphasized that by the end of December 2025, there should be no region in Ghana without a passport application centre.He has tasked his management at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that all 16 regions in Ghana will have passport application centres by the end of this year.
He has already communicated this goal to the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana, and he knows that the assurances committee, which he previously chaired, is monitoring progress toward this target.Ablakwa assured the people of the Upper East Region that the government has put in the necessary resources and effort.
He expressed confidence that by the end of this year, every region will have access to a passport application centre.”As a social democratic government, we believe that development must be inclusive.
It must reach every part of Ghana, and no part of our country must be left out in the forward march of our nation,” he stated.Addressing the people in the Bolgatanga municipality, he indicated that the project is the result of a collaborative effort to ensure that the facility meets modern standards for a passport application centre.
“We are here to celebrate unity, togetherness, and a concerted effort to rectify an injustice that has persisted for so many years. For passport acquisition, residents of this region had to travel long distances to Tamale, which involved risks and inconveniences.”Hon. Ablakwa noted that the over 1.3 million people in the region previously faced challenges in acquiring their passports. “No more to the inconvenience, no more to wasting resources, no more to stress, and no more hassle just because you want to acquire a passport, which is your right as a Ghanaian citizen,” he affirmed.
“The acquisition of passports is not a privilege; every Ghanaian citizen is entitled to a passport, and we must bring these services closer to all Ghanaians.”
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Donatus Atanga Akamugri, expressed gratitude to Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa for his role in establishing the passport centre, which will open the region to new economic opportunities and attract investment and commerce.
He emphasized that the demand for an airport in the region is strong and the benefits undeniable. “As the NDC, a social democratic party and the government of the people, we cannot have a better legacy in the region than to see the full realization of this airport project.
This will indeed affirm His Excellency John Dramani Mahama’s resetting agenda and the NDC vision of balanced regional development and integration.”Akamugri added that Ablakwa’s influence will also help bring the long-cherished dream of an airport in Upper East to fruition.
In an exclusive interview with Word News, Mr. Gabriel Agambila, president of the “Alamgumbe” Association, which was created exactly a year ago, shared that his motivation for establishing the association stemmed from a tragic incident.
A resident from the region who received a scholarship to study in the USA was unable to obtain a passport in time. After traveling to Tamale and later to Wa to apply for a passport, he was involved in an accident on his way back and lost his life.Agambila also mentioned another case where a man missed the opportunity to attend Hajj due to passport delays. “He lost the opportunity to go to Mecca,” he lamented.
However, to mark the opening of the Bolgatanga Passport Application Centre, seven residents from the Upper East Region have successfully obtained their passports and expressed gratitude to the government and the Alamgumbe Association for the realization of this project.
Source: mywordfmonline.com/Gaspard Ayuureneeya Adongo.