Foreign Affairs Ministry Assures Public on Passport Reforms and Cancels Illegally Issued Service Passports

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has assured Ghanaians and international partners that Ghana’s passport administration regime continues to be undergirded by the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, security and innovation.

In a statement issued on 8th November 2026, the Ministry noted that passport administration in Ghana is strictly governed by the Passports and Travel Certificates Decree, 1967, as amended. The Ministry is legally responsible for the issuance of Ghanaian passports, which come in three types: Ordinary, Service and Diplomatic.

Since assuming office last year, the Government of Ghana, led by President John Dramani Mahama, has initiated bold reforms aimed at enhancing the credibility, security, efficiency, modernisation and affordability of the Ghanaian passport. Ghana has introduced ICAO-compliant gold-standard chip-embedded passports, established Passport Application Centres in all 16 regions for the first time in the nation’s history, started 24-hour operations, launched a free courier delivery system, rolled out an e-Tracking mechanism and invested in technology-driven security protocols.

Despite these reforms and investments, the Passport Application Fee has been reduced from GH¢500 to GH¢350 to make acquisition more affordable. The Ghanaian Passport is now considered among the most valuable in the world, further confirmed by the unprecedented number of Visa Waiver Agreements signed in recent months. This year, Ghanaians surveyed by the Ghana Statistical Service declared Passport Administration in Ghana as the most transformed and least corrupt public institution in the country.

The Honourable Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, continues to champion these reforms with dedication, patriotism, integrity and zero tolerance for corruption. These principles inspired the Minister’s decisive actions when the Ministry received two petitions pointing to an irregular Service Passport Issuance scheme that had been operating illegally since 2023.

The 2023 petitioner claimed he paid US$29,000, while the 2026 petitioner stated that he paid US$5,000 to those involved in the criminal cartel. On the instructions of the Minister, a committee was promptly set up on 13th October 2026 after the first petition was received on 8th October to investigate the matter.

The Acting Director of Passports, Mr Mahama Yahaya Amantana, has since been interdicted. A junior Foreign Service Officer, Alhassan Sumani, who was named in all petitions as a key figure and who operated as a “goro boy” in 2023 before being recruited into the Foreign Service on 29th November 2024, has also been interdicted. The two officers have been referred to the Ghana Police Service for further investigations and possible prosecution.

The Ministry’s preliminary findings confirmed that persons who did not qualify were issued Service Passports after allegedly making illegal payments to a syndicate. The illegally issued passports listed include those of Richard Sakyi Apenteng, Augustina Agyei Boateng, Juliet Amankwa, Rebecca Agyeiwaa, Prince Ahensah, Maybel Ahensah, Twumasi Francis Kwame, Gyabaah Anthony, Frederick Ennin and Bosompem Richard.

All the Service Passports listed, which were illegally issued since 2023, have been cancelled and cannot be used. International partners have been duly notified. The owners of the passports, including two who successfully used the illegally acquired Service Passports to travel in 2023, are being vigorously pursued.

In the interest of fairness, impartiality and non-discrimination, the Director of Passports for the 2023 period, Ambassador Mohammed Habib Idris, who is now retired, will also be investigated by the security services and sanctioned if found culpable.

The Ministry stated that the Service Passport for Sale Scheme was a sophisticated operation that predated the current administration. It expressed gladness that the masterminds have finally been exposed and rounded up due to heightened diligence and zero tolerance for corruption.

The Ministry assured that so far, no evidence has emerged that Ghana’s Diplomatic Passports are being sold. The matters under investigation concern Service Passports only.

The Ministry pledged to ensure that the culprits of this despicable act to undermine the credibility of Service Passports are brought to justice, promising full transparency, impartiality and accountability.

Official data from the Passport Office indicates that between 2009 and 2016, a total of 1,397 Service Passports were issued; from 2017 to 2024, 3,174 were issued; and from 2025 to date, 754 have been issued. For Diplomatic Passports, 2,899 were issued between 2009 and 2016, 5,682 from 2017 to 2024, and 1,944 since 2025.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to pursue strict policies, institutional reforms and swift interventions aimed at safeguarding the credibility and sanctity of all categories of Ghanaian Passports.