I have had the opportunity of going to the Passport Office in Accra twice in the past year; here are a few of my thoughts:

1. Why can't the passport forms be downloaded and filled, or even filled online? Why can't the general public access a document online which details the requirements for filling the passport forms? Why do people need to pay middle-men to help them fill the forms because of the 'tricky' details required? Why do people need to be returned home because they didn't know they needed one particular document or the other? For instance a lady gets to the passport office after three hours (from her home in Afienya to the central business district) only to be told to go and get a new birth certificate done because the one she brought was 'not acceptable'. Why can't this information be made easily accessible so that people don't keep going and coming?

2. Why do people need to start queuing as early as 5am in order to get 'a number' for the day's transactions? Some people arrive at 8am (official opening hours) and have had to be turned back because they didn't get there 'early enough'. Really? If there's such a high demand, why can't we run two shifts? I asked one employee, 'what time do you close?'....'3:30pm', he replied. Why's that? Meanwhile, by 8am, the 'numbers' for the day have already been given out and people need to come the next day.

3. Does the facility have to look that dirty and run-down? I've not been there on a rainy day, but i wonder where people are made to sit. On the sunny days I was there, we were made to sit under a canopy (donated by a Chinese Fund) on some not-so-comfortable-chairs. We sat there in the open for about an hour. Mothers with babies had to be pacing to and fro to keep the children quiet. Elderly men and women with waist pains had to bend low to sit on the chairs because there was no alternative. Is this the best service to be offered to people who desire to have a simple travel or identity document? The facility may be old, but can be kept cleaner and more decent. That's not the only uncomfortable place there though: there's the 'capture room' that is just not it! - ACs that don't work well in a stuffy room that isn't well ventilated; 7 capture booths with just about 3 or 4 in operation; scanners that don't work well, etc. Plus, the gate is locked once you enter, to prevent others from entering - restricting your movement, causing you to barely find a seat in the often-crowded space! It's sad to see the elderly, clergy men, children, etc being in such uncomfortable situations. And while those who have gone in 'by the right way' sit to get their turns, there's always a lot of people who use the 'back door' and have a separate queue to take their shots at the 3 or 4 available cameras, leaving the 'ordinary' people stranded.

There's a lot more i think could be done better at the Passport Office that would lift the face of the country, create more job opportunities, and provide dignified services to the public. One sad thing about Ghana is this - when you want to do things the 'right way', the 'systems' make life uncomfortable. Many people have passports but very few people go through the kind of hassle I have just described because there's always another way - you can pay a middle man to get this done for you while you relax. Take the cases of renewing a license or registering a car at the DVLA, or clearing goods at the port - People need to either know someone or pay many people 'bribes' along the way just to get a service they are entitled to.

I look forward to a Ghana with a better maintenance structure. e.g. the 10-floor structure at the passport office should not be left to rot...i know there was a fire and all, but is there no use at all for that building? I look forward to a Ghana where people (especially the disabled, elderly and children) can have services rendered to them in a comfortable and dignifying way. I look forward to a Ghana where people who want to do the right thing are encouraged and not frustrated along the way. I look forward to a Ghana where we cherish fearless honesty, like our national anthem says. God bless our homeland Ghana, and make our nation great and strong!