Is the acquisition of Ghana passport & visa in France obligatorily channelled through a Ghanaian syndicate at a fee?

There is a group passport-like picture of some seven Ghanaians residing in France alleged by an accompanying or an attached audio-recorded message to be a syndicate charged with facilitating the acquisition of Ghana passport and or visa in France, doing rounds on WhatsApp platform.

It was forwarded to my WhatsApp page by one of my usual WhatsApp contacts yesterday, Tuesday, 16 August 2021.

I know some of the faces in the picture. However, I am not ready to contact them for any verification, explanation, or what not. This is because of a bitter lesson once learnt, in justification of the popular adage, “Once bitten, twice shy”.

I shall neither mention their names nor phone numbers in this publication. Each one’s phone contact number is however underneath their picture as posted on WhatsApp.

I am putting out this publication following the politicization of the whole issue. In Ghana and to the Ghanaian, whatever transpires in the life of the Ghanaian or Ghana has a political undertone, connotation, or colourisation to it. This is the most annoying aspect of the Ghanaian attitude or thinking that needs addressing and castigating.

The voice in the said audio, a female’s of course, was purporting as though the NPP government was behind the alleged syndication of the acquisition of Ghana passport and/or visa in France. She was warning that the NPP will not last forever but has about three more years left in power.

Therefore, they must be careful about what they are doing in regard to the seven people in France through whom only one can obtain a Ghana passport or visa from the Ghana Embassy in Paris, France.

What is wrong with someone or some people deciding to help others to carry out a task at a fee? It will only be wrong for the Ghana Embassy in France to make it obligatory for all demands of Ghana passport and/or visa to be channelled through the persons in the picture as forwarded to my WhatsApp page as alleged by that certain faceless woman.

The picture was posted on WhatsApp without a voiceover but alone with an accompanied audio-recorded explanatory message of the allegation.

I am neither in a position to rubbish what the woman is alleging nor will I accept it for a fact. However, I shall request the Ghana Embassy in France to look into the allegation. If it is true as being alleged, I shall advise that the decision be rescinded immediately without any ifs or buts since the intention or otherwise, is already clothed in political colours by the woman to tarnish the reputation of the NPP government led by His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

If those people are aware of their group picture posted on the social media, indicating their individual phone contact numbers with the allegation about their activity, they had better please come out to explain why and how they have taken it upon themselves to assist the requesters for Ghana passport or visa in France at a fee. Who has contracted them to do that?

Are they into registered business dealing in the acquisition of passports and visas for people and if yes, do they do it only with Ghana and for Ghanaians or with other people for other countries?

Is it a contract that they have entered into with the Ghana Embassy in France or what? Are they doing so out of their own volition to assist Ghanaians in France who have difficulty filling out a passport or visa application forms?

Until I learn more about it, will both the Ghana Embassy in France and the ruling NPP government look into the allegation which has the potential to cause disaffection for the government by certain Ghanaians with genuine concerns, or those simply seeking to be mischievously partisan by politicizing every issue with the aim of tarnishing the reputation of the government to score cheap political points?