Page 3: Daily Graphic, March 27, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE embattled Administrative Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana, Rt Rev Kow Bosomefi Egyir, on Thursday obtained an interlocutory injunction against the church from holding its extraordinary conference.
The conference, which was to have deliberated on recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee’s Report on the alleged sexual misconduct of Bishop Egyir, was postponed after the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana, Most Rev Emmanuel Asante-Antwi, was served with the injunction.
The church has, however, applied to the Human Rights Court to set aside the injunction.
According to the reliefs sought by Bishop Egyir, the procedures adopted by the Disciplinary Committee were in violation of the church’s constitution.
Moreover, he (Bishop Egyir) was also not given an opportunity to be heard.
It was also the contention of Bishop Egyir that he did not know the complainant or who was complaining and what was being complained about.
Confirming the development in an interview, Most Rev Asante-Antwi said as a law-abiding institution, the church had to comply with the orders of the court.
He said the church, however, took the necessary steps thereafter and had accordingly applied to set the injunction aside.
He explained that as the highest decision-making body of the church, Conference would have to validate or nullify any recommendation by any sub-unit of the church.
Bishop Egyir, who is currently on suspension and holidaying in the United States of America (USA), is alleged to have sexually misconducted himself by allegedly raping the 23-year-old daughter of another high-ranking member of the church.
The alleged victim, a student in a tertiary institution in Ghana, was alleged to have been sent by her father to deliver a parcel to the bishop when the incident allegedly took place.
Bishop Egyir was summoned to appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the church by February 3, 2010.
He was suspended after he had allegedly admitted before a pastoral committee set up to investigate the matter that he had misconducted himself sexually.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Ayariga receives US trade delegation
Page 32: Daily Graphic, March 27, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mahama Ayariga has pledged the government’s commitment to create a conducive business environment to help reduce the cost of doing business in the country.
He said the government acknowledged the challenges of non-availability of capital and technological skills as handicaps which greatly affected the private sector and investment generally.
Speaking during a courtesy call on him by a Louisiana State trade delegation, Mr Ayariga said the government would initiate policies that would reduce the cost of doing business in the country.
He said there already existed incentives in investing in the Free Zones and the deprived areas, particularly in the northern part of the country.
He said the US government continued to support Ghana through a number of initiatives and noted in particular training support being provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Commercial Counsellor of the US Embassy in Accra, Ms Heather Byrnes, who led the team to the ministry, described the response and support of the government and companies to the delegation as tremendous.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mahama Ayariga has pledged the government’s commitment to create a conducive business environment to help reduce the cost of doing business in the country.
He said the government acknowledged the challenges of non-availability of capital and technological skills as handicaps which greatly affected the private sector and investment generally.
Speaking during a courtesy call on him by a Louisiana State trade delegation, Mr Ayariga said the government would initiate policies that would reduce the cost of doing business in the country.
He said there already existed incentives in investing in the Free Zones and the deprived areas, particularly in the northern part of the country.
He said the US government continued to support Ghana through a number of initiatives and noted in particular training support being provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Commercial Counsellor of the US Embassy in Accra, Ms Heather Byrnes, who led the team to the ministry, described the response and support of the government and companies to the delegation as tremendous.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Minister gets tough on shoddy jobs
Page 24: Daily Graphic, March 25, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
ALL contractors, engineers and consultants who undertake, certify and get paid for shoddy jobs at the expense of the taxpayer are to be blacklisted by the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing.
The move has become necessary following the realisation that some firms undertake projects but those projects become non-functional after they have been inaugurated.
The sector minister, Mr Alban Bagbin, told the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday that the ministry was revisiting the possibility of enforcing technical standards in development projects as part of efforts to reduce, if not eliminate, shoddy jobs by contractors and engineers.
He noted that some firms undertook shoddy jobs but got certified and paid for non-operational systems.
He cited the last major works on the Weija pumping station, which was inaugurated in November 2008 but had remained non-functional ever since it was constructed.
Mr Bagbin said the situation had contributed immensely to the water problem facing residents in the Accra and Tema metropolitan areas and indicated that those blacklisted would never be awarded government contracts again.
He noted that although 1,920 cubic millimetres of water was needed for daily urban water supply in 2010, only 634.740 cubic millimetres was produced, leaving a shortfall of 1,285.260 millimetres for managers of the country’s urban water systems to manage.
He said the ministry had outlined a short to medium and long-term strategy to address the water needs of Ghanaians.
In the short-term, the ministry was seeking to address the challenges of sources of water supply, the production, distribution, uses and sustainability of water.
Mr Bagbin said a major challenge to address seriously was that of training the personnel and making them to be disciplined and responsive, passionate and committed to their duties.
“We have a critical number of experienced and knowledgeable personnel but it is important to inspire them to be disciplined and productive,” he said.
He said the short-term objectives also called for more vigilance and protection of the distribution networks to avoid vandalism and tampering of water facilities.
That, he said, would also mean meeting some key users such as hospitals, educational institutions and industries to solicit their assistance in the rationalisation and control of water usage.
Mr Bagbin said the essence of the short-term programme was to reduce the percentage of unaccountable water to liberate the systems to ensure equitable distribution.
He said the percentage of unaccountable water had been put at more than 50 per cent but was quick to add that that amount included water supplied freely to government facilities.
He said that would also call for extensive metering of both government and private sector players to determine the quantum of free water being given out.
In the medium-term, he said, the ministry was seeking to replace all pieces of obsolete equipment and concentrate on the maintenance of the rest to make them functional.
He said the ministry had instituted a buffer zone programme under which people would be encouraged to plant economic trees along the banks of water basins.
Mr Bagbin said the programme was in place at Bawku and indicated that an impact assessment of the programme would soon be done so that it would be replicated in all other areas.
He said there was also a programme to get the youth involved in all activities of the Water Resources Commission so as to catch them young to appreciate the importance of protecting, conserving and managing the country’s water resources.
He said the Water Resources Commission had taken delivery of kits to help individuals along water bodies and water systems to measure the pollution levels of those water bodies so as to help them appreciate the effects of activities on the water sources and their attendant health hazards to the populace.
Mr Bagbin said a heavy dose of investment was required in the long term to address the production and distribution chain but that, he indicated, required a better management system to convince investors to pump money into the sector.
He said the ministry would, therefore, provide leadership to implement good programmes to win the confidence of all stakeholders.
Story: Albert K. Salia
ALL contractors, engineers and consultants who undertake, certify and get paid for shoddy jobs at the expense of the taxpayer are to be blacklisted by the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing.
The move has become necessary following the realisation that some firms undertake projects but those projects become non-functional after they have been inaugurated.
The sector minister, Mr Alban Bagbin, told the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday that the ministry was revisiting the possibility of enforcing technical standards in development projects as part of efforts to reduce, if not eliminate, shoddy jobs by contractors and engineers.
He noted that some firms undertook shoddy jobs but got certified and paid for non-operational systems.
He cited the last major works on the Weija pumping station, which was inaugurated in November 2008 but had remained non-functional ever since it was constructed.
Mr Bagbin said the situation had contributed immensely to the water problem facing residents in the Accra and Tema metropolitan areas and indicated that those blacklisted would never be awarded government contracts again.
He noted that although 1,920 cubic millimetres of water was needed for daily urban water supply in 2010, only 634.740 cubic millimetres was produced, leaving a shortfall of 1,285.260 millimetres for managers of the country’s urban water systems to manage.
He said the ministry had outlined a short to medium and long-term strategy to address the water needs of Ghanaians.
In the short-term, the ministry was seeking to address the challenges of sources of water supply, the production, distribution, uses and sustainability of water.
Mr Bagbin said a major challenge to address seriously was that of training the personnel and making them to be disciplined and responsive, passionate and committed to their duties.
“We have a critical number of experienced and knowledgeable personnel but it is important to inspire them to be disciplined and productive,” he said.
He said the short-term objectives also called for more vigilance and protection of the distribution networks to avoid vandalism and tampering of water facilities.
That, he said, would also mean meeting some key users such as hospitals, educational institutions and industries to solicit their assistance in the rationalisation and control of water usage.
Mr Bagbin said the essence of the short-term programme was to reduce the percentage of unaccountable water to liberate the systems to ensure equitable distribution.
He said the percentage of unaccountable water had been put at more than 50 per cent but was quick to add that that amount included water supplied freely to government facilities.
He said that would also call for extensive metering of both government and private sector players to determine the quantum of free water being given out.
In the medium-term, he said, the ministry was seeking to replace all pieces of obsolete equipment and concentrate on the maintenance of the rest to make them functional.
He said the ministry had instituted a buffer zone programme under which people would be encouraged to plant economic trees along the banks of water basins.
Mr Bagbin said the programme was in place at Bawku and indicated that an impact assessment of the programme would soon be done so that it would be replicated in all other areas.
He said there was also a programme to get the youth involved in all activities of the Water Resources Commission so as to catch them young to appreciate the importance of protecting, conserving and managing the country’s water resources.
He said the Water Resources Commission had taken delivery of kits to help individuals along water bodies and water systems to measure the pollution levels of those water bodies so as to help them appreciate the effects of activities on the water sources and their attendant health hazards to the populace.
Mr Bagbin said a heavy dose of investment was required in the long term to address the production and distribution chain but that, he indicated, required a better management system to convince investors to pump money into the sector.
He said the ministry would, therefore, provide leadership to implement good programmes to win the confidence of all stakeholders.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Mumuni launches bio-passports
Page 25: Daily Graphic, March 24, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni, yesterday launched Ghana’s biometric passports with a call on Ghanaians with valid passports not to rush for the biometric ones.
He said the current generation of machine readable passports would be in use until November 24, 2015, and, therefore, any rush for the biometric passports by even those with valid passports would put unnecessary pressure on the Passport Office.
The launch attracted members of government, Diplomatic Corps, officials of the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana Police Service, among others.
With the launch yesterday, Ghana thus joins Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to be issuing biometric passports.
A Ghanaian company, Buck Press Limited, has been contracted to produce the passport booklets and also set up the Passport Application Centres (PACs).
Under the arrangements, Ecobank, the National Investment Bank, the Ghana Commercial Bank and the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) would sell the passport application forms until such time that selected Ghana Post offices would be included.
A Mobile Passport Application Centre has also been set up to facilitate the applications of physically challenged persons in various institutions.
Alhaji Mumuni said only those in possession of hand-written passports were obliged to change them by April 1, 2010.
Fortunately, he said, some Ghanaians in the Diaspora were in possession of the hand-written passports and indicated that efforts were underway to replace all of them before the April 1, 2010 deadline.
He said the ministry recognised that there would be initial challenges and, therefore, appealed to applicants to exercise restraint, co-operate and support the Passport Office during the early days of the programme.
On the choice of colours for the passports, Alhaji Mumuni explained that the red, blue and green for Diplomatic, Service and Ordinary passports were in conformity with ECOWAS integration agenda.
Alhaji Mumuni said with the commencement of issuance of the biometric passports, there was going to be a reduction of identity theft and other problems associated with the old passports.
He commended the media, particularly the Daily Graphic, which had been in the forefront of educating the public on the transition to biometric passports.
He also expressed appreciation to members of the National Implementation Committee, which was established in 2005, for their dedication and commitment to the successful launch.
Alhaji Mumuni was hopeful that with time, the PACs would be decentralised throughout the country to make them more accessible to Ghanaians.
The acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ambassador Lawrence Satuh, said the biometric passport was intended to enhance the dignity of Ghanaians anywhere in the world when they came face to face with immigration and other security agencies.
He noted that the introduction of the biometric passports would not be welcome news to middlemen, passport contractors and connection men, who made it their business to stand between genuine applicants for passports and the issuing authority for their personal gain.
He, therefore, warned them to desist from resorting to any kind of sabotage tactics, since the security agencies had been alerted to deal with them.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador Victor James Gbeho, in an address read on his behalf, described the launch as a significant milestone towards regional integration.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni, yesterday launched Ghana’s biometric passports with a call on Ghanaians with valid passports not to rush for the biometric ones.
He said the current generation of machine readable passports would be in use until November 24, 2015, and, therefore, any rush for the biometric passports by even those with valid passports would put unnecessary pressure on the Passport Office.
The launch attracted members of government, Diplomatic Corps, officials of the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana Police Service, among others.
With the launch yesterday, Ghana thus joins Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to be issuing biometric passports.
A Ghanaian company, Buck Press Limited, has been contracted to produce the passport booklets and also set up the Passport Application Centres (PACs).
Under the arrangements, Ecobank, the National Investment Bank, the Ghana Commercial Bank and the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) would sell the passport application forms until such time that selected Ghana Post offices would be included.
A Mobile Passport Application Centre has also been set up to facilitate the applications of physically challenged persons in various institutions.
Alhaji Mumuni said only those in possession of hand-written passports were obliged to change them by April 1, 2010.
Fortunately, he said, some Ghanaians in the Diaspora were in possession of the hand-written passports and indicated that efforts were underway to replace all of them before the April 1, 2010 deadline.
He said the ministry recognised that there would be initial challenges and, therefore, appealed to applicants to exercise restraint, co-operate and support the Passport Office during the early days of the programme.
On the choice of colours for the passports, Alhaji Mumuni explained that the red, blue and green for Diplomatic, Service and Ordinary passports were in conformity with ECOWAS integration agenda.
Alhaji Mumuni said with the commencement of issuance of the biometric passports, there was going to be a reduction of identity theft and other problems associated with the old passports.
He commended the media, particularly the Daily Graphic, which had been in the forefront of educating the public on the transition to biometric passports.
He also expressed appreciation to members of the National Implementation Committee, which was established in 2005, for their dedication and commitment to the successful launch.
Alhaji Mumuni was hopeful that with time, the PACs would be decentralised throughout the country to make them more accessible to Ghanaians.
The acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ambassador Lawrence Satuh, said the biometric passport was intended to enhance the dignity of Ghanaians anywhere in the world when they came face to face with immigration and other security agencies.
He noted that the introduction of the biometric passports would not be welcome news to middlemen, passport contractors and connection men, who made it their business to stand between genuine applicants for passports and the issuing authority for their personal gain.
He, therefore, warned them to desist from resorting to any kind of sabotage tactics, since the security agencies had been alerted to deal with them.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador Victor James Gbeho, in an address read on his behalf, described the launch as a significant milestone towards regional integration.
Monday, March 22, 2010
$5,000 ROBBERY * Four cops interdicted
Front Page: Daily Graphic, March 23, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Police Administration has interdicted four policemen who allegedly attacked and robbed a Belgian national of $5,000, GH¢700 and other personal effects.
The four policemen are Lance Corporal David Koomson of the Panthers Unit; L/Cpl Franklin Turkson of the James Town Police Station; Constable Isaac Shiburah of the Police Hospital and Constable Edward Opoku of the Armoured Car Squadron.
Corporals Shiburah and Opoku are on the run, while L/Cpls Koomson and Turkson, who appeared before the Osu Magistrate Court yesterday on charges of conspiracy to rob and robbery, have been remanded in prison custody to reappear on March 30, 2010.
They will also face a service enquiry.
The Police Administration has, subsequently, placed a handsome bounty on Shiburah and Opoku.
Briefing newsmen in Accra yesterday, the Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kwesi Ofori, said the complainant, Thierry Boinnard, a Belgian resident in the USA, was suspected to have been lured into the country by two unidentified men.
He said the two unidentified men met the complainant at the Fiesta Royale Hotel and took him in a taxi to show him a gold refinery.
On reaching a spot near the main entrance of the Achimota Forest, four policemen in a black VW Golf, with registration number AS 3115 T, allegedly intercepted the taxi carrying the Belgian and the two other men.
According to DSP Ofori, the policemen handcuffed the complainant, beat him and took him to a spot near the Kumbaya Hotel, behind Peace FM in Accra, where the four policemen allegedly robbed the complainant of $5,000, GH¢700, a mobile phone worth $1,000 and a gold wristwatch valued at $25.
He said following a public announcement on an Accra-based radio station that some policemen had robbed a foreigner, all the patrol teams were alerted with the description of the VW Golf car the policemen were driving.
He said one of the patrol teams saw a VW Golf being driven by a policeman around the Achimota Golf Club and stopped it.
He said after initial interrogation, the policeman/driver was arrested and driven to the CID Headquarters for further questioning and it was in the course of that that the policeman allegedly admitted to committing the offence and mentioned the names of the others.
DSP Ofori described the two escapees as a risk to society and, therefore, appealed to members of the public to volunteer information leading to their arrest for a handsome reward.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Police Administration has interdicted four policemen who allegedly attacked and robbed a Belgian national of $5,000, GH¢700 and other personal effects.
The four policemen are Lance Corporal David Koomson of the Panthers Unit; L/Cpl Franklin Turkson of the James Town Police Station; Constable Isaac Shiburah of the Police Hospital and Constable Edward Opoku of the Armoured Car Squadron.
Corporals Shiburah and Opoku are on the run, while L/Cpls Koomson and Turkson, who appeared before the Osu Magistrate Court yesterday on charges of conspiracy to rob and robbery, have been remanded in prison custody to reappear on March 30, 2010.
They will also face a service enquiry.
The Police Administration has, subsequently, placed a handsome bounty on Shiburah and Opoku.
Briefing newsmen in Accra yesterday, the Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kwesi Ofori, said the complainant, Thierry Boinnard, a Belgian resident in the USA, was suspected to have been lured into the country by two unidentified men.
He said the two unidentified men met the complainant at the Fiesta Royale Hotel and took him in a taxi to show him a gold refinery.
On reaching a spot near the main entrance of the Achimota Forest, four policemen in a black VW Golf, with registration number AS 3115 T, allegedly intercepted the taxi carrying the Belgian and the two other men.
According to DSP Ofori, the policemen handcuffed the complainant, beat him and took him to a spot near the Kumbaya Hotel, behind Peace FM in Accra, where the four policemen allegedly robbed the complainant of $5,000, GH¢700, a mobile phone worth $1,000 and a gold wristwatch valued at $25.
He said following a public announcement on an Accra-based radio station that some policemen had robbed a foreigner, all the patrol teams were alerted with the description of the VW Golf car the policemen were driving.
He said one of the patrol teams saw a VW Golf being driven by a policeman around the Achimota Golf Club and stopped it.
He said after initial interrogation, the policeman/driver was arrested and driven to the CID Headquarters for further questioning and it was in the course of that that the policeman allegedly admitted to committing the offence and mentioned the names of the others.
DSP Ofori described the two escapees as a risk to society and, therefore, appealed to members of the public to volunteer information leading to their arrest for a handsome reward.
Ghana goes biometric
Page 16: Daily Graphic, March 20, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
COME Tuesday, March 23, 2010, Ghana will join a number of countries issuing biometric passports to its citizens, in line with an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) demand.
Under the ICAO regimes, it is recommended that member states issue biometric passports by April 1, 2010.
Biometric details are those which are unique to an individual, such as one’s fingerprint, the iris of his/her eye and facial features. Biometric passports are equipped with protection mechanisms to avoid and/or detect attacks.
Biometric passports may have either one or two modes of data storage. In one mode, the biodata of the holder is on a micro-chip embedded in the passport, while in the alternative storage mechanism, the biodata is stored in a two-dimensional (2D) Bar Code.
The main difference between the two modes of storage is that the micro-chip has a bigger storage capacity, although it is susceptible to identity theft or could easily be hacked into by hackers and could be easily damaged, while data stored on a 2D Bar Code is more secure and cannot be accessed without the authority of the holder.
Moreover, the cost of acquiring a biometric passport with a micro-chip is four times higher than that of 2D Bar Code biometric passport.
It has also been proven that illegal organisations, with the appropriate technology, have been able to access biometric passports embedded with micro-chips and managed to alter the data on the chips without the knowledge of either the holders or the passport-issuing authorities, especially in the United Kingdom and Belgium. Sophisticated equipment are also required to read biometric passports embedded with micro-chips but these may not be available at border posts which do not have regular supply of electricity.
Ghana’s choice of biometric passport seems to have been informed by the fact that the biometric passport is more secure because the data or information in the 2D Bar Code cannot be accessed unless the holder surrenders the passport. More so, the 2D biometric passport is more robust while the 2D Bar Code cannot be damaged unless the whole passport is destroyed.
The equipment used to read the 2D Bar Code is also readily available at almost all border posts and does not depend on electrical power and the price is also moderate.
The main disadvantage of the biometric passport is that the storage space in the 2D Bar Code is not as large as that of the e-passport.
Features of Ghana’s Biometric Passports
The paper used for this is a security-grade UV dead paper which is available only in Ghanaian passports and also contains the watermark image of the Supreme Court. As most fraudsters use solvents and acids to alter the passport, the paper contains chemicals, solvents and acids that make duplication impossible.
The background colours fuse in a predetermined shift from one colour to another and also have anti-photocopy and anti-scan designs which make all scanned or photocopied documents useless as they appear ‘moiré’. The passport also has a dual channel intaglio frame which increases its security and makes fraudulent representation impossible. As a result of the intaglio, a hidden image is only visible at a 90-degree angle.
The passport number is visible as black in natural daylight and fluoresces to green under UV light while the use of two-tone invisible fluorescent ultraviolet image and text for the Parliament building and Adinkra symbols make them invisible to the naked eye but can be seen with the use of an ultraviolet lamp.
On page numbering, ladder formation of the page numbers along the edge of the booklet prevents the removal and insertion of non-genuine pages. The pages are also perforated through a laser process, which fortifies its security.
Categories of Biometric Passports to be issued.
There are three categories of biometric passports to be launched; the Diplomatic, Service and Ordinary passports which are issued to citizens on the basis of their status.
Persons to be issued with diplomatic passports include some members of the First Family, ministers, deputy ministers, regional ministers, Members of Parliament, metropolitan/municipal/district chief executives and diplomats accredited to foreign countries.
The diplomatic passport has a red front cover with the national coat-of-arms embossed on the back. The service passport, which has a blue cover, however, is issued to public servants proceeding on overseas training courses or persons empowered to perform specific duties in another country, on behalf of the government .
The ordinary passport, or green-cover passport, is issued to ordinary citizens and naturalised non-Ghanaians who apply for Ghanaian passports.
This passport captures a holder’s facial features and the biometric data of fingerprints which link the holder to the passport. The mode of application and acquisition is that the owner’s biometric data is initially captured and later verified to ensure the right ownership on delivery.
This is expected to help curb fraud, prevent multiple ownership of passports, identity theft and lead to the apprehension of people who may indulge in international acts of terrorism, money laundering and drug smuggling.
Mode of Acquisition
A prospective applicant is first expected to purchase a passport application form from a designated bank or an approved point of sale in the regional capitals and other centres.
The applicant subsequently fills the forms and submits the completed form to the nearest Passport Application Centre (PAC) in Accra, Kumasi, Sunyani, Sekondi/Takoradi, Ho or Tamale, together with relevant documents such as an old passport or birth certificate as evidence of payment to commence the application process. The PACs function as centres for demographic and biometric data capture and transfer, as well as distribution of passports.
At the PAC, applicants will be invited to take a digital photograph together with biometric data of fingerprints. Applicants, at this stage, are given submission receipts from the system and a turn-around date of 15 days or less to collect their biometric passport. All processing fees are paid in consonance with the speed of service delivery: The ordinary or expedited categories.
Data Transfer And Vetting
The COP at the Passport Office in Accra will accept all data transferred from the PACs nation-wide. The vetting process begins with the administrative vetting or verification of all demographic data, followed by the biometric vetting involving the passage of both the demographic and biometric data through the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). This confirms the validity of the data stored as genuine for the applicant.
Those who already hold an ordinary passport but qualify and apply for Service or Diplomatic passport, will have their stored data transferred for automatic issuance. Data could also be transferred by the COP to border posts to track down fake passports.
The completed passports are dispatched from the Central Operations Production (COP) unit in Accra to the Passport Application Centre (PAC) where applicants can collect their passports by presenting submission receipts and going through a final biometric check to authenticate ownership of the travel document.
Story: Albert K. Salia
COME Tuesday, March 23, 2010, Ghana will join a number of countries issuing biometric passports to its citizens, in line with an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) demand.
Under the ICAO regimes, it is recommended that member states issue biometric passports by April 1, 2010.
Biometric details are those which are unique to an individual, such as one’s fingerprint, the iris of his/her eye and facial features. Biometric passports are equipped with protection mechanisms to avoid and/or detect attacks.
Biometric passports may have either one or two modes of data storage. In one mode, the biodata of the holder is on a micro-chip embedded in the passport, while in the alternative storage mechanism, the biodata is stored in a two-dimensional (2D) Bar Code.
The main difference between the two modes of storage is that the micro-chip has a bigger storage capacity, although it is susceptible to identity theft or could easily be hacked into by hackers and could be easily damaged, while data stored on a 2D Bar Code is more secure and cannot be accessed without the authority of the holder.
Moreover, the cost of acquiring a biometric passport with a micro-chip is four times higher than that of 2D Bar Code biometric passport.
It has also been proven that illegal organisations, with the appropriate technology, have been able to access biometric passports embedded with micro-chips and managed to alter the data on the chips without the knowledge of either the holders or the passport-issuing authorities, especially in the United Kingdom and Belgium. Sophisticated equipment are also required to read biometric passports embedded with micro-chips but these may not be available at border posts which do not have regular supply of electricity.
Ghana’s choice of biometric passport seems to have been informed by the fact that the biometric passport is more secure because the data or information in the 2D Bar Code cannot be accessed unless the holder surrenders the passport. More so, the 2D biometric passport is more robust while the 2D Bar Code cannot be damaged unless the whole passport is destroyed.
The equipment used to read the 2D Bar Code is also readily available at almost all border posts and does not depend on electrical power and the price is also moderate.
The main disadvantage of the biometric passport is that the storage space in the 2D Bar Code is not as large as that of the e-passport.
Features of Ghana’s Biometric Passports
The paper used for this is a security-grade UV dead paper which is available only in Ghanaian passports and also contains the watermark image of the Supreme Court. As most fraudsters use solvents and acids to alter the passport, the paper contains chemicals, solvents and acids that make duplication impossible.
The background colours fuse in a predetermined shift from one colour to another and also have anti-photocopy and anti-scan designs which make all scanned or photocopied documents useless as they appear ‘moiré’. The passport also has a dual channel intaglio frame which increases its security and makes fraudulent representation impossible. As a result of the intaglio, a hidden image is only visible at a 90-degree angle.
The passport number is visible as black in natural daylight and fluoresces to green under UV light while the use of two-tone invisible fluorescent ultraviolet image and text for the Parliament building and Adinkra symbols make them invisible to the naked eye but can be seen with the use of an ultraviolet lamp.
On page numbering, ladder formation of the page numbers along the edge of the booklet prevents the removal and insertion of non-genuine pages. The pages are also perforated through a laser process, which fortifies its security.
Categories of Biometric Passports to be issued.
There are three categories of biometric passports to be launched; the Diplomatic, Service and Ordinary passports which are issued to citizens on the basis of their status.
Persons to be issued with diplomatic passports include some members of the First Family, ministers, deputy ministers, regional ministers, Members of Parliament, metropolitan/municipal/district chief executives and diplomats accredited to foreign countries.
The diplomatic passport has a red front cover with the national coat-of-arms embossed on the back. The service passport, which has a blue cover, however, is issued to public servants proceeding on overseas training courses or persons empowered to perform specific duties in another country, on behalf of the government .
The ordinary passport, or green-cover passport, is issued to ordinary citizens and naturalised non-Ghanaians who apply for Ghanaian passports.
This passport captures a holder’s facial features and the biometric data of fingerprints which link the holder to the passport. The mode of application and acquisition is that the owner’s biometric data is initially captured and later verified to ensure the right ownership on delivery.
This is expected to help curb fraud, prevent multiple ownership of passports, identity theft and lead to the apprehension of people who may indulge in international acts of terrorism, money laundering and drug smuggling.
Mode of Acquisition
A prospective applicant is first expected to purchase a passport application form from a designated bank or an approved point of sale in the regional capitals and other centres.
The applicant subsequently fills the forms and submits the completed form to the nearest Passport Application Centre (PAC) in Accra, Kumasi, Sunyani, Sekondi/Takoradi, Ho or Tamale, together with relevant documents such as an old passport or birth certificate as evidence of payment to commence the application process. The PACs function as centres for demographic and biometric data capture and transfer, as well as distribution of passports.
At the PAC, applicants will be invited to take a digital photograph together with biometric data of fingerprints. Applicants, at this stage, are given submission receipts from the system and a turn-around date of 15 days or less to collect their biometric passport. All processing fees are paid in consonance with the speed of service delivery: The ordinary or expedited categories.
Data Transfer And Vetting
The COP at the Passport Office in Accra will accept all data transferred from the PACs nation-wide. The vetting process begins with the administrative vetting or verification of all demographic data, followed by the biometric vetting involving the passage of both the demographic and biometric data through the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). This confirms the validity of the data stored as genuine for the applicant.
Those who already hold an ordinary passport but qualify and apply for Service or Diplomatic passport, will have their stored data transferred for automatic issuance. Data could also be transferred by the COP to border posts to track down fake passports.
The completed passports are dispatched from the Central Operations Production (COP) unit in Accra to the Passport Application Centre (PAC) where applicants can collect their passports by presenting submission receipts and going through a final biometric check to authenticate ownership of the travel document.
Friday, March 19, 2010
4 Armed robbers nabbed
Page 25: Daily Graphic, March 19, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE timely response of the police yesterday led to the arrest of four suspected armed robbers at the Nyamekye Junction in Accra after the robbers had raided the house of a sister of a former Minister of Health, Dr Sipa Yankey, at East Legon in Accra.
The suspects — George Owusu Bempah, 25, an electrician; Odartey Lamptey, 23, a steel bender; Roger Agbadi, 24, a labourer, and Kwame Kumah, 23, the house boy at the victim’s residence, are currently in the custody of the police.
A Toyota Camry with registration number GT 844 X, laptops, DVD players, jewellery, a television set, DSTV decoder, a suitcase and about six mobile phones, among other items, were stolen.
The robbers allegedly held the houseboy and the house girl hostage and plastered their mouth before carrying out the robbery.
Roger, George and Odartey reportedly took turns to rape the house girl, who coincidentally happens to be the sister of Kwame Nkrumah, the orchestrator of the robbery.
Kwame is alleged to have taken photographs of his madam’s two vehicles and given them to the robbers ostensibly to show to prospective buyers but to the robbers to choose the car to rob.
In a bid to deceive the victim and the police, the robbers left behind a letter to the victim purporting to have emanated from her former labourer, Kwasi, as having organised his boys to rob her.
At the time of filing this report, the house girl had been sent to the Police Hospital for medical treatment.
Briefing the Daily Graphic after leading the police to arrest the robbers, the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Atinga, and her deputy, ACP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, said the police had a distress call at about 9:30a.m. yesterday that some armed robbers had raided a house on Monrovia Road at East Legon near the Emmanuel Eye Clinic.
She said within 15 minutes that the police got to the scene, the robbers had sped off with the booty.
She said the police pursued the robbers upon hearing that they had taken to the Lapaz road.
According to her, the police fired at the robbers after they refused to stop and surrender themselves to the police.
DCOP Atinga said it was as a result of the shooting that the robbers gave up and were arrested.
ACP Yohuno said three days before yesterday’s incident, an informant had brought the pictures of the two vehicles to the Accra Regional Police Command.
He said the informant had indicated that the robbers were looking for prospective buyers before going to rob the vehicle to sell at GH¢12,000.
He explained that because the registration numbers of the vehicles were covered in the picture, it was extremely difficult to locate the owners of the vehicles.
For his part, a former Minister of Health, Dr Sipa Yankey, whose sister was robbed, expressed appreciation to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Paul Quaye, for the swift response to the call.
He said the timely response of the police showed that with more logistics and motivation, the police would rise up to the occasion.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE timely response of the police yesterday led to the arrest of four suspected armed robbers at the Nyamekye Junction in Accra after the robbers had raided the house of a sister of a former Minister of Health, Dr Sipa Yankey, at East Legon in Accra.
The suspects — George Owusu Bempah, 25, an electrician; Odartey Lamptey, 23, a steel bender; Roger Agbadi, 24, a labourer, and Kwame Kumah, 23, the house boy at the victim’s residence, are currently in the custody of the police.
A Toyota Camry with registration number GT 844 X, laptops, DVD players, jewellery, a television set, DSTV decoder, a suitcase and about six mobile phones, among other items, were stolen.
The robbers allegedly held the houseboy and the house girl hostage and plastered their mouth before carrying out the robbery.
Roger, George and Odartey reportedly took turns to rape the house girl, who coincidentally happens to be the sister of Kwame Nkrumah, the orchestrator of the robbery.
Kwame is alleged to have taken photographs of his madam’s two vehicles and given them to the robbers ostensibly to show to prospective buyers but to the robbers to choose the car to rob.
In a bid to deceive the victim and the police, the robbers left behind a letter to the victim purporting to have emanated from her former labourer, Kwasi, as having organised his boys to rob her.
At the time of filing this report, the house girl had been sent to the Police Hospital for medical treatment.
Briefing the Daily Graphic after leading the police to arrest the robbers, the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Atinga, and her deputy, ACP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, said the police had a distress call at about 9:30a.m. yesterday that some armed robbers had raided a house on Monrovia Road at East Legon near the Emmanuel Eye Clinic.
She said within 15 minutes that the police got to the scene, the robbers had sped off with the booty.
She said the police pursued the robbers upon hearing that they had taken to the Lapaz road.
According to her, the police fired at the robbers after they refused to stop and surrender themselves to the police.
DCOP Atinga said it was as a result of the shooting that the robbers gave up and were arrested.
ACP Yohuno said three days before yesterday’s incident, an informant had brought the pictures of the two vehicles to the Accra Regional Police Command.
He said the informant had indicated that the robbers were looking for prospective buyers before going to rob the vehicle to sell at GH¢12,000.
He explained that because the registration numbers of the vehicles were covered in the picture, it was extremely difficult to locate the owners of the vehicles.
For his part, a former Minister of Health, Dr Sipa Yankey, whose sister was robbed, expressed appreciation to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Paul Quaye, for the swift response to the call.
He said the timely response of the police showed that with more logistics and motivation, the police would rise up to the occasion.
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