BIOMETRIC PASSPORT CENTRE COMMISSIONED IN SUNYANI.

A Biometric Passport centre has been commissioned today the 19^th of January 2011 at the Brong Ahafo capital city of Sunyani. The centre the third of its kind to be commissioned in the country is located at the premises of the Sunyani Municipal Assembly. The centre which is among five (5) to be established across the country is to decentralized the acquisition of passports in the country and therefore lessen the burden of Ghanaians always travelling to Accra to acquire passports.

Commissioning the centre, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Chris Kpodo said the commissioning of the Biometric passport centre in the Brong-Ahafo region is a step in fulfilling the NDC governments’ commitment to the people of the region. According to him the biometric passport was launched in the country some ten (10) months ago by the government to replace the old one so that Ghanaians will enjoy recognition and respect wherever they travelled to in the world. He added that the biometric passport has special security features which unlike the old one will avoid impersonation and middlemen and therefore ensure the security, recognition and respect of Ghanaians.

He assured that the centre will be manned by a competent team from the ministry of Foreign Affairs and the immigration service and appealed to the people of the region to support them for the success of the centre. He warned that anybody who pays more than the require fees and the one who receives it will both be dealt with according to the laws of the country because their NDC government abhors corruption but embraces transparency and accountability. He ended by thanking the people of the Brong – Ahafo region for deciding the fate of Ghana in the 2008 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

The Deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister

Hon. Eric Opoku on his part expressed gratitude to the ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government for that matter for choosing the Brong-Ahafo Region as one of the five (5) regions to benefit from the project. He said the commission of the centre will go a long way to help in the online application for passports and reduce impersonation and middlemen who take advantage of the applicants as it was with the old passport

He appealed to the youth in the region that now that the centre has been established in the region, they should try to acquire passports and visas which are the requirements for travelling abroad so that the issue of youth in the region entering people`s country illegally resulting at times in their being jailed or killed on the deserts would be a thing of the past.

The Omanhene of Seikwa Traditional area in the Tain District of the Brong-Ahafo region Nana Kwaku Dwuma Ankoanna ll who was the chairman for the function in his closing remarks thanked the NDC government for remembering the people of the Brong-Ahafo region by establishing one of the centers there and pledged the support of the people of the region to the government and the centre saying “commissioning of biometric passport centre in Sunyani is a welcome news because it will lessen the burden of always travelling to Accra when people from this region need passport. Later Ambassador Chris Kpodo with the help of the Brong-Ahafo deputy regional Minister and Nananom cut the tape to officially commission the centre.

When later contacted the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Sunyani Hon. Kwasi Oppong Ababio who helped in the acquisition of office for the centre at the Assembly was full of joy that at long last the project has come into fruition. He assured that his outfit will continue to give the centre the needed assistance to help in the smooth running of the centre.

A show was put up by people from the centre for National Culture on how middlemen used to dupe people who applied for the old passport through them and how the biometric passport could easily be acquired by oneself to the admiration of the gathering.

A cross section of people I spoke to the after the programme expressed divergent views about the commissioning of the centre in the region with most of them expressing gratitude to the government for the project.

Nana Yaa Yamaa Queen of Sunyani said “We are grateful to the government for recognizing our region by choosing our region as one of the five regions to benefit from this project”. “I think it will go a long way to help us”.

“This centre will go a long way to lessen the burden of people from this region of always travelling to Accra when they need passports and I think we are so much indebted the government” were the words of Mr. Kwasi Lampo NADMO coordinator of Sunyani municipal assembly.

“I am not too sure how this centre will help us to acquire our passports easily as is being touted because look at what happened to people who visited the Accra centre when it was commissioned”. What did we not hear about the same favoritism and corruption were the words of an onlooker who only gave his name as Oppoku.

On the whole however many people were happy and welcomed the commissioning of the centre in Sunyani.

The short ceremony attracted dignitaries from the region and outside it. They included the Director of passports Madam Afua Benneh who is a daughter of the region, Immigration Officers, Security Chiefs, some Municipal and District Chief Executives, Chiefs and their Queens, the press, Heads of Departments and the public.

Attendance was high and entertainment was at its best as the Tanokrom Aggroma entertained the gathering with Kete Dance.