By: Kenneth Appiah Bani
The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of financial malfeasance over the $1.2 million spent on the relaunch of Ghana’s chip-embedded passport system, describing it as wasteful and unnecessary.
Addressing the media, the Deputy Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, said the lavish relaunch event, held on 28 April 2025, diverted “scarce national resources away from critical service delivery.”
According to the Minority, the chip-embedded passport project was fully conceived, contracted, and financed under the previous Akufo-Addo-led administration. Cabinet reportedly approved the initiative in August 2024, and the outgoing government successfully completed testing and formally launched the project on 2 December 2024. They say the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already procured 50,000 booklets with a standing order of 200,000 more, under contract CEP 21.11.
“This was a fully functional program handed over to the new administration,” Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh stated. “What happened in April was nothing more than a cosmetic relaunch that cost the state $1.2 million without improving printing capacity or paper supply.”
The Deputy Ranking Member further revealed that within eight weeks of the relaunch, the Passport Office was overwhelmed by 32,467 unprinted applications, with 68% of applicants waiting more than eight weeks despite paying for a 15-day express service. These details, he noted, are captured in a public release by the Passport Office.
He cited a 25 June 2025 survey by City News which echoed the public’s frustration. One video, which went viral with over 1.4 million views, showed distressed mothers missing scholarship deadlines and traders stranded without travel documents due to passport delays.
“The so-called relaunch solved absolutely nothing,” Nana Asafo-Adjei emphasized. “It was simply rebranded work that had already been done, executed at great cost, and with no value added to the Ghanaian public.”
The Minority is demanding full disclosure of how the $1.2 million was spent and is calling for an independent investigation into the relaunch expenditures. They say the government’s actions undermine public trust and worsen the challenges faced by citizens in accessing basic services.
As of now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not responded to the allegations.
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