A Ghanaian man has raised concerns about the trend of some staff at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) soliciting money from passengers.
This particular act by these individuals, he said, reflects poorly on the country as a whole and could potentially damage its reputation or pride.
His remarks have sparked widespread discussions on social media, with many individuals recounting similar encounters.
In a widely circulated video online, the man highlighted that this issue has been noticeable for some time and seems to be worsening.
He recounted an incident involving a Nigerian traveler who complained about being approached for money while passing through Ghana.
Initially defending his country, he later admitted that the problem is pervasive, extending from the airport gates to the boarding areas, where various personnel frequently request money from passengers.
‘There is this thing that I have observed for some time now. I used to think it was a thing happening in Nigeria but it looks like increasingly, Ghana is becoming even more notorious
Last week I met a lady in Nigeria and she was complaining to me how she transited through Ghana and people were demanding money, I tried to defend us but you go see say the thing be true and you know, from gate to boarding, everybody asks for money
It’s out of hand,” he said, adding that even a Canadian friend had similar complaints about immigration officers demanding money.
The man further detailed a troubling incident involving a staff member at a boarding gate who subtly hinted at needing financial assistance.
“She said, ‘Oh, I’m done oo. I’m looking at you.’ Doing stuff suggestively that you are looking for money or demanding for money. You guys are embarrassing Ghana,” he lamented.
Due to a widespread issue with e-gates at ports and airports, there are huge lines and “scenes of utter chaos” at the UK border.
Due to a technical issue, electronic gates stopped working late on Friday, forcing all passengers to be processed through staffed airport desks.
It comes as traffic builds on motorways and queues grow at Dover due to the bank holiday getaway.
Heathrow Airport said it was aware of the problem affecting its passengers.
The e-gates are operated by Border Force, the airport said, adding that the problem was widespread across airports and ports.
It said: “Our teams are working closely with Border Force to help resolve the problem as quickly as possible and we have additional colleagues on hand to manage queues and provide passenger welfare.
“We apologise for any impact this is having to passenger journeys.”
The Home Office also confirmed the delays for arrivals in the UK.
A spokesperson said: “We are aware of a nationwide border system issue affecting arrivals into the UK.
“We are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible and are liaising with port operators and airlines to minimise disruption for travellers.”
One traveller at Heathrow said on Twitter they had been waiting in a queue for four hours.
Another said they were met with the “mother of queues” for manual passport checks.
Another person at Heathrow tweeted: “Just landed to scenes of utter chaos. 2 hour queues just to get to the real queue. Gates broken.”
There are more than 270 eGates at the UK border.
They can be used by British and EU citizens over the age of 12, as well as people from several other countries including Australia, Canada, the US, Japan and New Zealand.
Returning from Dubai overnight to this mother of queues. Apparently national outage in border control machines 🤷🏼♀️so manual passport checks. Moreso ridiculous when paying ££ extra for the privilege of travelling through @HeathrowAirport pic.twitter.com/pcPCkoxdVy— Lina Tayara (@FabLoulou) May 27, 2023
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Travellers on the roads also face the prospect of long queues throughout the weekend.
Journeys on some stretches of the M25 could take up to three times longer than normal, transport data company Inrix has warned.
Long delays are also expected on the M5 in Somerset and the M6 in Cheshire and Greater Manchester.
Drivers across the UK will make 19.2 million leisure car trips between Friday and Monday, according to estimates from the RAC, with the hottest day of the year so far forecast on Sunday.
Ferry passengers through Dover were advised to allow two hours to complete border controls and check-in – even before the e-gate problems.
DFDS ferry company tweeted: “Please be prepared with refreshments & use facilities before arriving at the port.”
The Port of Dover said delays at French border control were due to “IT issues” with “high volumes of tourist and freight traffic on Port approaches”.
Image: Queues for the ferry at Dover on Saturday morning
People queuing at Dover told Sky News they had missed their ferry because of the queues and were “about to find out” whether they could get on a later sailing.
“It’s frustrating, but it is what is,” they said.
The resigned attitude was shared by other travellers, who said they had come expecting delays after seeing long queues on previous bank holiday weekends.
At Easter, passengers faced waits of up to 14 hours.
One couple in the queue of cars today told Sky News they had travelled half a mile in 35 minutes.
They said they had left three hours instead of 90 minutes but had still missed their check-in time.
The RAC said it was expecting the busiest weekend of traffic since before the pandemic.
“Getting away early in the morning or delaying trips until the evening are the best way to avoid the inevitable delays,” spokesman Rod Dennis said.
While holidaymakers face the prospect of long queues, those staying at home for the long weekend should enjoy some of the hottest weather of the year.
Southeast Wales and around the Bristol Channel will get the best of the weather, with temperatures up to 24C on Saturday and Sunday.
Other parts of the UK could see temperatures reaching the high teens and low 20s.
The dry and bright weather is likely to continue for most with little rain expected throughout next week during half term.
The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) on Wednesday 23, May 2023 seized Fifty-Four (54) slabs of compressed dried leaves suspected to be cannabis concealed in wooden artefacts with a gross weight of 12.67kg and with a street value of 127, 713.6 United States Dollars.
The intercepted consignment which was destined for the U.K were detected by officers of the Commission at the scanning room as part of their routine duties at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) Cargo Terminal.
A field test conducted on the substances proved positive for cannabis. The Commission has taken custody of the seized consignment while investigations continue to apprehend the perpetrators.
Meanwhile, NACOC has assured the public that it is committed to collaborating with all relevant institutions in minimising the drug trafficking threat to the country.
“The Commission would like to use this medium to remind the general public that the possession and transportation of illicit drugs without lawful authorization is illegal and punishable under sections 40 (1) and 41 (1) of Act 1019 of the Narcotics Control Commission Act 2020,” it added in its statement signed by Francis Opoku Amoah, Acting Director, Public Affairs and International Relations Department.
