John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called into question the effectiveness of the newly commissioned digital gates at Kotoka International Airport (KIA), launched by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
During a campaign tour, Mahama recounted his own experience attempting to use the Ghana Card at the newly introduced digital gates, only for the system to fail. This incident led him to criticize the success of the digitization initiative, which he argued has been presented more as propaganda than a fully functional system.
“The digital gates didn’t open for the digital man,” Mahama remarked, referencing Dr. Bawumia’s efforts to position himself as a champion of the country’s digital transformation. He suggested that if the foundational elements of digitization are flawed, the system will inevitably expose these weaknesses.
The advanced digital border control system, which includes biometric and facial recognition technologies, was officially launched by Vice President Bawumia on December 3, 2024. The system aims to allow Ghanaian citizens with the Ghana Card to bypass traditional immigration procedures, enhancing efficiency at the airport. Foreign visitors and members of the diaspora can also utilize the e-gates by pre-registering their biometric data.
At the launch event, Dr. Bawumia touted the system as a “monumental leap forward in border management” and emphasized that it was “designed and built by Ghanaians,” with full management under the Ghana Immigration Service.
However, Mahama’s comments have raised questions about the reliability of such initiatives, especially given his personal experience with the new system.
