Rejoinder: Ghana Embassy - The Most Inefficient Institution In The UK

The attention of the Ghana High Commission in London has been drawn to an article posted on this website on the afore-mentioned subject. Despite the negative impression that the author sought to create about the High Commission, we wish to emphasise that the Mission places very high premium on its duties and on the welfare of Ghanaians in the UK and many Ghanaians can attest to the vast improvement in the quality of its services over the past few years. We wish for now, to provide the following reaction to the matters raised in the article.

Firstly, calls made to the Mission are answered promptly and appropriately. Secondly, passport applicants living outside London can purchase their forms from any location in the UK by post via postal order/banker’s drafts and do not need to travel all the way to London. Indeed, Visa, Criminal Record Check and Dual Citizenship application forms can also be purchased through the post.

Processing of passports has now been fully mechanised and processing time for passports has been reduced to two weeks for direct applications and three weeks for postal applications. Barring any postage problems, the stipulated three week processing time would normally be met if the application form is correctly completed and supported with all the requisite documents and a stamped self-addressed envelope. We would however like to state that for now passport application forms cannot be made available on the internet because of security considerations.

The Mission has noted that the author of the article is Mr. Adumoa Sam. Records at the Mission have failed to locate any application from the author. Besides a letter which the High Commissioner has written to him inviting him to make contact with the Mission with a view to resolving the matters he complained of, have, up to date, elicited no response.

Sweeping statements and generalisations about the conduct of officers at the Mission are not helpful. Members of the public who have specific complaints about the Mission’s services or the conduct of specific officers are kindly encouraged to channel their complaints to the High Commissioner on telephone no. 02072015900 or Fax no. 02072450970.

The Mission is constantly reviewing its operations and procedures and has stepped-up interaction with the Ghanaian community to elicit the necessary feedback to enable it provide the best quality of service for Ghanaians

ISSUED BY THE
GHANA HIGH COMMISSION, LONDON
8 NOVEMBER 2006