The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has inaugurated a temporary Passport Application Centre (PAC) in Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional capital.
The centre, which is located within the premises of the Ghana Commercial Bank building, has come as a huge sigh of relief to residents, who for years had to travel long distances to Tamale and beyond to acquire passports.
Addressing the event last Thursday, Mr Ablakwa described the event as historic, stating that it marked the first time in the history of the Upper East Region that such a facility had been established.
“It should not have taken us this long, but as they say, better late than never. Today, we are sending a clear message that development must be inclusive and every Ghanaian, regardless of location, must have access to essential government services,” he stated.
The minister praised the collaboration between the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council (UERCC), the Alagumgbe Group and GCB Bank for their contribution towards the successful renovation and establishment of the facility.
“This is the kind of community development we need, one built on teamwork, patriotism and unity,” he said.
Permanent office
While the newly inaugurated office is a temporary facility, Mr Ablakwa assured that plans were advanced towards the completion of the ongoing permanent regional passport office to serve the Upper East Region and its neighbouring communities.
He emphasised that the government’s goal was to ensure that all 16 regions in Ghana had operational passport centres by the end of 2025, emphasising, “By December this year, there must be no region in Ghana without a Passport Application Centre.”
The minister announced a series of passport reforms aimed at improving efficiency and accessibility, saying “these include AI-enabled security protocols, chip-embedded passports and courier delivery services to ensure that applicants receive their passports without returning to the centres.
“For the first time, Ghanaians will no longer have to queue to collect their passports. Once your biometrics are taken, Ghana Post will deliver your passport to your home or office,” he explained.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga, said the commissioning of the passport centre represented a major step towards administrative decentralisation and equitable service delivery.
“For far too long, residents have endured long and costly travels to access basic passport services. This office is not just a facility; it is a symbol of hope and inclusion,” he said.
Airport
Mr Atanga renewed the region’s long-standing appeal for the construction of the Bolgatanga Airport, describing it as the “next frontier” for economic and tourism growth.
“Our region’s strategic proximity to Burkina Faso and Togo, coupled with its mineral potential, makes an airport a strategic necessity,” he said, disclosing that the proposed 4,218-acre airport site at Sumbrungu had already been demarcated and submitted to the Ghana Airports Company Limited.
The Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and Member of Parliament for Nabdam, Dr Mark Kurt Nawaane, said as a caucus they were committed to ensuring that all districts in the region got decentralised offices to create jobs and improve development.
The founder of the Alagumgbe Group, Gabriel Agambila, who spearheaded the establishment of the passport office, said the idea to support the project was born out of a painful experience that struck the Bolgatanga community some years ago.
He recalled that an indigene who got a scholarship to go to the USA got involved in an accident while returning from Wa in his quest to secure a passport to enable him to travel abroad, and said “just because of a passport, we lost a brilliant student.”
