My passport expired about three months ago. I didn’t even realise it until an exigency made me go for it. Indeed, it had been lying idle for the past three years or so.
Did I hear you ask what the exigency was? I had a dream that I was travelling to Obroniland to further my education. And how could I travel to Obroniland without a passport when I do not possess the power to fly nocturnally?
Did I see you in my mind’s eye laugh at my dream? Do not laugh because it was a dream I had with my eyes opened. I was awake when I had the dream so it could not be as a result of too much eating.
So, for my expired passport I went. Then began the thought of how to renew it. I shuddered to imagine the ‘wahala’ I would go through at the passport office. The large crowd, the hassle, the struggle, the long wait in very long queues, the heat, the lamentations and the resultant anger made me dread the return to the passport office.
It was in the midst of the worry and anxiety that I read on Graphic online that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had an online passport application process, with an expedited process option.
I was skeptical at first. I just could not believe that things could be done right in Kwame Okro’s homeland. I also thought it was just another way to milk the poor Ghanaian dry.
But two things made me have second thoughts. My desire to avoid the horrific experience at the passport office and my trust in the Minister for her honesty and integrity.
I filled two application forms: One for myself (renewal) and the other for my aunty (new passport). The normal process was GH¢50, while the expedited process was GH¢100. I opted for the latter.
I also opted for Premium Application Centre (PAC) at an extra cost of GH¢59, tax charges inclusive. Immediately after submitting the application, I booked an appointment for next day, December 28, 2018 at 8:30 am for processing at PAC (Accra Digital Centre).
Abusuapanin, it is an understatement to say the services at PAC are good. They started serving clients at 8:30 am as scheduled. My aunty was number 3 and I was number 4. By 9:20 am we had gone through all the processes – mine for renewal and hers for a new passport.
I was more than impressed with what I saw and experienced at PAC. The staff were very welcoming and willing to offer any support to make one’s experience at PAC very comfortable. They also have the option of sending one’s passport through a courier service when it is ready, at a small fee.
My aunty and I were given January 8, 2019 as the date to expect our passports to be ready. True to their word, we were notified that the passports were ready on the due date and we went for them the following day. We were pleasantly surprised to have spent less than 5 minutes at the collection point.
I was given 10 working days to expect my application to be fully processed and it was done within 7 working days. My suspicion is that my application would have been fully processed earlier but for the Christmas and New Year festivities. I was very satisfied with the process; and so were many others I met at PAC.
The process was smooth, transparent and comfortable. One was constantly notified of the status of the application. One could also check the status of the application on the online platform.
PAC at the Accra Digital Centre is a success story. The Foreign Affairs Ministry and managers of Accra Digital Centre deserve a pat on the back. Just as we shall lament when they go wrong, so shall we praise them for the good work so far. My only prayer is that the Accra Digital Centre is not infected by the destructive virus that has infected almost all institutions in the country.
As a dedicated disciple of konkonsa, I tried to find a single fault in their service but to no avail. But my caution to them is simple: Just as I’m singing hallelujah today, so will I sing crucify them when things go wrong. But for now, the chorus is, ” Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah! ”
See you next week for another interesting konkonsa, Deo volente!