For the people of Ghana’s Upper East Region, the commissioning of the new Regional Passport Application Centre in Bolgatanga marks more than just a bureaucratic milestone; it is a victory over years of unfulfilled promises and a testament to decisive leadership. Apexnewsgh reports
At the heart of this event, the Member of Parliament for Nabdam Constituency, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane, delivered a speech, reflecting on the journey that brought the much-needed facility to fruition.
“For the past eight years, there has been talk and talk and talk of establishing the passport office,” Dr. Nawaane told the gathered crowd, his words echoing the shared frustrations of many residents. “A structure that is being built for the passport office, and I looked at it, it is far from completion.”
His remarks highlighted a reality that many in the region have come to know all too well: plans for decentralizing essential public services often stall, leaving communities waiting and hoping. With the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in power for the last eight years, Dr. Nawaane noted, there had been much discussion about setting up a regional passport centre, but little action. The unfinished building meant for the centre stood as a daily reminder of those unmet promises.
Yet, Dr. Nawaane was quick to point out that progress sometimes requires bold action. “It needed somebody brave, strong, experienced to know that, no, these people need the services. We don’t have to wait until that building is completed before we start giving passports to people. Somebody has to make that decision.”
He credited the breakthrough to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. “The person who took that decision is here with us. And that is the Honorable Okudzeto Ablakwa. It needed one person to agree that this thing you have been talking about should come to being. And he did it.”
Dr. Nawaane’s praise for Hon. Ablakwa was met with applause. “Let’s clap for him,” he urged, acknowledging the Minister’s role in transforming years of empty rhetoric into real, accessible services. Thanks to this intervention, an existing structure in Bolgatanga was renovated and quickly repurposed, allowing the region’s residents to access passport services without delay.
The MP’s comments also touched on a broader issue affecting the Upper East and many other regions: the need for decentralized agencies and services. “The members of parliament from the Upper East Region have observed that a lot of the decentralized agencies and structures are not in the region,” he explained. “And some of them are also not in the districts. And so we continue to discuss what we can do to get some of these things to our regions and districts.”
As an example, Dr. Nawaane shared ongoing efforts to expand essential services in his own constituency. “As I am speaking now, by January, the National Health Insurance Authority will have an office in Nabdam. That is a structure that is not there.” He further noted the absence of a Health Facilities Regulatory Authority office in the region, which he is actively advocating for as a board member. “Because there are hospitals in Bolgatanga that also need to be regulated. Why don’t we open that office and get people employed? That’s the most important thing.”
Employment and local management, Dr. Nawaane stressed, should be central to these efforts. “Let them manage the place and we can, you know, be thinking of more and more. So that is what we are doing in Accra. Here, all of us, we are trying as much as possible to get the decentralized authorities to open their offices in the region and in the districts.”
The MP expressed gratitude for the support he and his colleagues have received from the region. “I use this opportunity to thank you very much for the goodwill that we have been enjoying from you.” He also called on their constituents to remain patient with their Members of Parliament, assuring them of continued engagement. “We’ve been very busy throughout the year, but we hope that we’ll come back, especially during the Christmas and New Year festivities. We’ll be with you and engage you and I believe that you’ll be happy with us.”
Dr. Nawaane’s words captured both the relief and renewed optimism felt throughout the Upper East Region as the passport centre opened its doors. His speech served as both a celebration of what had been accomplished and a call for continued advocacy to bring more decentralized services to every corner of the region.
As the ceremony concluded, the sense of accomplishment was palpable. No longer would Upper East residents need to journey long distances for a simple passport application.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen
