John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has responded to claims made by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ghana’s Vice President, regarding the use of the Ghana Card for international travel without a passport.
Mahama argued that immigration officers in Ghana do not even accept the Ghana Card at the border when travelling to neighbouring countries, calling into question the accuracy of Dr Bawumia’s statement that the Ghana Card can replace a passport for international travel.
“Dr. Bawumia claimed that with a Ghana Card, you can travel outside the country. When he made that statement, he knew he was lying,” Mahama said.
“On one occasion, I was traveling to Abuja with a group.
One of the travellers had an expired passport, but decided to show his Ghana Card as Dr. Bawumia had suggested. However, immigration officers at the airport refused to accept it, and we had to leave him behind.”
In May 2024, Dr. Bawumia had announced that the Ghana Card, part of the nation’s ongoing digital transformation, is now accepted at 44,000 airports worldwide, highlighting the card’s growing international recognition.
According to Dr. Bawumia, this development enables Ghanaians to use the Ghana Card as a valid travel document in case they lose their passport, facilitated by its integration with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) database.
During his recent tour of the Upper West Region, Dr. Bawumia emphasized the importance of the Ghana Card as a digital identity tool.
He explained that it not only aids in global mobility but also plays a crucial role in tackling corruption within the public sector.
He noted that the card has been essential in identifying and removing ghost names from government payrolls, thereby preventing fraudulent salary payments to non-existent employees.
