Maybe I should call it extortion instead of corruption….Whatever it is, Ghana is seriously sick as a country and finding a just man to cure this national canker will forever be difficult as the society and its institutions are inherently corrupt.
You can imagine the despair on my face when I was greeted at the Kotoka International Airport with an open request to pay out to a Customs Officer in uniform and on duty after a long flight from Amsterdam to Accra-Ghana, …
Though this Customs Officer was making a mere request, his posture, uniform and diction pushed it beyond a request—-making the whole atmosphere uncomfortable and daunting for me.
I was struggling to push my 3 bags on one of those Airport trolleys, sweating out of the warm air which had given me the usual Ghanaian welcome when a Customs Officer called me to his corner…
I thought he was going to inspect my bags so I quickly went into my pocket for the little padlock keys. With an attitude which suggests he is not new to this and has no fear or shame in doing it, he loudly asked; what did you bring for me?
As if he was one of my cousins or there was a way I could have known of his existence, he pushed further by saying ‘anything little will be fine….I can see you are in a hurry so something little and we do not have to go through all the bags’.
At this stage, I felt embarrassed and silly—Do I look like a punk to this man, I asked myself. I guess it was not about how I looked, but the convention in Ghana—-where people in uniforms extort money from those they come in contact with.
In a disappointing voice backed by a head shake, I told him I did not have anything on me for him, and basically ‘all I have in the bags are personal stuff’. But he is free to check them, offering the keys to him….
I am sure he felt disappointed that this punk of a man was a little smarter and there was no way he was going to make any money out of me.
Fortunately for me and unfortunately for another, a certain lady was spotted struggling with her bags too—approaching us. The disappointed Officer quickly marked my bag with a white chalk and rudely said, you can go now…
I guess he was on a quick move to try it on the innocent lady.
On my way back to London, I was asked for money again at the same Kotoka International Airport, and this time it was by a gentleman who sat near the counter where you fill out those departure cards.
In fact, I saw an old man hand out a Ghanaian note to this officer. He took the note and confidently pushed it into his pocket…
These people are not only ashamed to ask, they are also fearless and careless. After all, the system is corrupt just like them and there is no one out there to make sure they do not act as such.
I recently travelled to Denmark, Sweden, France, Spain, Holland and Germany without any Airport Official asking me for a penny. Yet, my ‘in and out’ of Ghana’s Kotoka International Airport was greeted by corrupt officers attempting to extort money out of me.
I can’t see how this will ever take place in London’s Heathrow Airport or Gatwick. The people who work in these Airports are not saints, do not get me wrong. The fact is, the system works and there are measures in place forcing them to act saintly.
Are there no cameras at Kotoka International Airport? Why am I even bothering myself with this question since the OGA at the top will probably be part of the ‘request for money from travellers’ scheme…
It’s disgusting and pathetic!
What has your experience been at Kotoka Int. Airport?
Chris I don’t Wna start explaining mpo lol. Nkrasisem paa smh. Ohh Ghana
same…always, it’s considered “HARASSMENT”
Chris i love the fact that you brought this issue up, when I went to Ghana in June as soon as I touched down I went through customs first person who ask me to open my bag was actually a (a nice lady. She made me open one bag and ask me what I had in there so I told her present for family members and my clothes she quickly closed the bag and told me that I can go. As i was walking down to arrival second person came to me this time a young man and a young lady the ask me for my passport than quickly shouted open your bag so I gave them a dirty look and ask why I should open my bag. if someone already did so they tried to force me to open it so I told them if they new who my uncle was the moment I mention that they got a bit scared and told me I can go as I was about to reach the arrival hall I had two young men asking me again to open my bag and there is where I lost it and bad mouthed them, one of them went like I can’t talk to him like that’s or they will detain me so I laughed and looked at them and replied criminals like you guys don’t need my attention they looked at each other and told me I can walk the moment I arrived on the arrival hall my brother was in traffic so I decided to wait and two officers came to me asking if I wanted them to get me a taxi so I looked at them and told them aren’t your jobs to check passport and luggage the quickly sad thank you and walk off the moment my brother came in and walked towards the car had two beggers pretending to help me with my luggages and the moment I got their they demanded for some small change and there is where I started laughing all the way on my way back to the UK
As for that particular gentlemen your talking about he is a crook sitting at his so called desk Sking stupid questions if your bringing anything from Ghana to your destination the moment you say yes than he will fill him a form and charge you some ridiculous amount he than puts ghe mkney quickly under his book and to wrap your bag with cling film will cost you 15 Ghs and the moment you say no they will offer it for 10 Ghs I’m sure there are cameras there but they all working together I bought my dad a brand new samsung zoom camera almost 400 pounds gor his birthday and the moment he arrived in Ghana someone stole the samsung camera by tempering with the zip and he did not realise it until he reached home in Kumasi
@Oheneba Miyagi, Your comments on this platform define illiteracy. Who gives a hoot about who your uncle is?! You committed the same offence you are accusing the officers of. You are a brat.
@Maame Yaa, thank you, madam akata hero, by the way did you come here to give your version or just to settle unfinished business with me lol, anyway next time ask why I sad that to him instead if jumping strait into conclusion have a good day bye
Keep replying as always madam akata hero
@ Oheneba Miyagi, I highly recommend you save the little money have and enroll yourself in a community college.brofo be what!!!.
PS. learn to lie
@musa, I’ll use that little money to hire your mum than
@Oheneba Miyagi, hmm.. it’s then and not than. Get it? You need more tuition than I anticipated. Will enrolling you in year 6 english class do?
@musa, bring your mum so she can teach me
@Oheneba Miyagi, did you just learn how to do the mum insults? That is so yesterday. I suggest Chris allows you to submit your comments in twi.
@Oheneba Miyagi, hahahhahahah…. i am wandering where you were arriving from… because in my opinion and experience nobody is asked to open their bag before they go through the arrival process because you will not have your bags by then… after arrival process, you go for your bags then they will be inspected.
I have been to ghana multiple times and have learned if you challenged these extortion oh meant custom officers they always back down. I always ask for a reciept if you want monry from me or if not let me talk to your supervisor. Corruption is the order of the day and have american colleagues who have similar encounters which is tarnishing the image of ghana. Definitely need some radical changes and citizens not obliging to these demands. I an educated and lived abroad for over 20yrs and I am not going to let a mediocre custom officer “punk” me, never going to happened. When I get to ghana my demeanor and attitude changes,I am in a defense mood from driving/shopping etc.
Well, I don’t know how to start but I had a bad experience and I wasn’t a happy camper. I was told to wait for a call from someone at the airport saying they have found my bag. Mind you that after I landed in Ghana I had to wait 4 Buisness days before they found my bags. All I could say it can happen anywhere in the world not just Ghana. But it feels great when you get your stuff back.
I can identify with chris’ account, the ‘welcome to africa’ thing but miyagi’s is unfairly exaggerated.
Dude! Are u kidding? We know how bad it gets but this is so outta place, ya story doesn’t add up. Rather u cut across as one of those arrogant assholes who’s got a misconception of security and for whatever reason jump at every chance to taunt and their little effort in a country where you feel your “uncle” can do the bullying for you.
Mehn! This is africa or is ghana a worst case now???
@marioxkluzive, Spoiler Alert: You’re a huge loser. That’s all you need to know for now and accept the facts that mist of them are all bunch of cheeky criminals Period
Same same here. But I can say when I traveled with my white partner, we get totally different service at the GH airport. Funny
@Amoah, i am happy to know they do not do that to foreigners.. that will be too embarrassing for me.. if they do that with us ghanaians only, then i could pardon them for immersing all of us in the same culture but for foreigners??? God forbid.
@miyagi I dunno why u always get viral but here’s what I think: in your own case all of this negativity is in ya head as you obviously live out a sense of hate towards an african security. Apparently the first lady you claim approached you sooo caught your fancy, the only reason you never noticed her flaws