Dr Emmanuel Acheampong, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), recently shared a remarkable incident involving his GhanaCard and how it came to his rescue when he couldn't locate his passport while traveling from Germany to Ghana.
Dr Acheampong, who serves as the Data Hub & Information Systems Manager at the Centre for Coast Management of the University, explained that when he presented his GhanaCard to the airline authorities as a means of identification, they conducted verification checks and allowed him to board the flight.
During an interview on Accra-based Okay FM, he recalled how AirFrance in Hamburg assisted him by rebooking a KLM flight after verifying his identity using the GhanaCard. This enabled him to travel from Hamburg to Amsterdam and ultimately reach Accra on Thursday.
Dr Acheampong admitted that he had arrived at Hamburg Airport without his passport, as he had inadvertently left it at home and did not have sufficient time to retrieve it. He expressed his gratitude for the wonders of digitization, particularly Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia's efforts in this regard. Thanks to Bawumia's initiatives, the Germans agreed to allow him to travel with his GhanaCard, despite not having his passport. Dr Acheampong emphasized how grateful he was to be able to travel back to his home country even without a passport.
He further explained that the airline eventually agreed to scan his GhanaCard, verifying his Ghanaian identity and confirming his legitimate reason for returning to his home country. This occurred in Hamburg, Germany.
In July of the previous year, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia had announced that the Ghana Card could function as an e-passport. This development was intended to alleviate the burden faced by Ghanaians in the diaspora, who often had to acquire visas at a significant cost and sometimes encountered complications, such as lost passports, during the visa application process at Ghanaian embassies abroad. The Ghana Card's recognition as a travel document for returning to Ghana from abroad, without the need for a visa, was officially certified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Dr Acheampong expressed his gratitude to Dr Bawumia for spearheading Ghana's digitalization drive, which not only saved him time but also reduced his travel expenses when returning to Ghana without a passport.
Dr Emmanuel Acheampong, a Senior Lecturer at UCC, shared his personal experience highlighting the significance of his GhanaCard. This incident demonstrated how the GhanaCard's recognition as an e-passport facilitated his travel from Germany to Ghana, even in the absence of his passport. Dr Acheampong expressed his appreciation for Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia's efforts in leading the digitalization initiative in Ghana, making it possible for him to travel efficiently and cost-effectively.