Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, has raised concern over the Passport Office’s ongoing extortion and corruption.
As a result, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey has relieved personnel seconded to the passport office of their duties.
The Minister has instructed that these individuals not report to work on Monday, August 21, 2023, since they have been changed.
Notably, she advised staff who had worked at the Passport Office for more than a year to take time off as part of sanity-restoring procedures.
“Everybody who has been here for more than one year, from Monday on, please do not come back because you have been changed. We want to restore some sanity. Every time politicians are corrupt, meanwhile, it is some public civil servants who will do things that shouldn’t be done, and then they will be put on politicians,” she directed.
This came after the Minister visited the passport office on Monday and voiced her outrage at the unjust procedures that personnel there subject applicants to.
She regretted the fact that the Ministry was able to digitise the passport acquisition procedure because of the collaborative efforts of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
However, some people purposefully use the system to their advantage.
The Minister intimated that investigations into the illicit actions had begun, with certain identities already being mentioned.
She stated that the investigations revealed the existence of a network that was collaborating with Passport Office staff and that she was astounded by the prevalent belief that only politicians and her ministry were involved in corruption.
“It is disheartening that while blame is often laid at the feet of politicians, it is, in fact, some public servants who engage in these wrongful acts, which are then mistakenly attributed to politicians,” she lamented.
She also stated that investigations into the “goro boys,” who prey on applicants with the assistance of office workers, are still active and progressing.
The Minister stated that she believes there is coordination with certain Passport Office workers since these outside actors cannot function alone.
As a result, she has issued a warning to anyone found guilty that they would face legal action as a deterrent to others.
