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Graphic Online has gathered information that the Passport Office in Accra has lost some substantial amount of data captured from Ghanaian passport applicants.

This has resulted in a delay in the processing of passport applications. Some sources have hinted that the problem was due to corrupted data.

As a result, some applicants have been contacted to come back to have their biometric data recaptured whilst others are oblivious of the problem and have been waiting at home for their passports.

Some of the applications affected dates back to October 2015.

On Friday February 26, 2016 confusion broke out at the Accra passport office at the old Ministry of Foreign Affairs building following agitations by enraged applicants against workers.

The applicants, some of whom said their biometric data had earlier been captured but had been called back to have them recaptured did not understand why they had to wait in queues for hours and days.

They accused officials and security personnel of taking bribes to favour some applicants while others were left standing in long queues unattended to.
They tried to forcibly enter the data capturing room.
Disillusioned, they confronted the security personnel who were restraining them from entering the offices.

This resulted in an uncontrolled scuffle between them and the police.
It took the help of additional personnel, police cum military deployed there to calm nerves and dismiss the agitated applicants from the premises.
An attempt by Graphic Online to speak with authorities at the passport office proved futile.

Some applicants who spoke to Graphic Online claimed they were being sidelined even though they had joined a long queue since last Monday.
Some had travelled long distances to Accra to have their passport processed.

They reported on the date indicated on their collection slips hoping to pick up their new passports only to be told that their information was corrupted and therefore needed to have them recaptured.