Preparations for the opening of a temporary passport office in the Upper East Region are at an advanced stage, with only a few finishing touches left before it becomes operational.
This is according to the founder and leader of Alagumbe, Gabriel Agambila. “We’ve almost completed the place. Painting has been done, partitioning has been done, the outer painting of the building, anyone who takes a ride through the commercial street would see the vast difference from the way the building used to be.”
The facility, located along the commercial street in Bolgatanga, has undergone significant transformation, including painting, partitioning, and other structural upgrades. Speaking during an interview on A1 Radio, Mr Agambila revealed that currently, the outstanding work involves tiling, installing fittings, and adding a front railing. According to him, plans are also underway to level the compound with chippings to address the potholes on the grounds.
He expressed optimism that the office will be ready by the end of the week, although some funding challenges remain. Mr Agambila pointed out that one of the major expenses has been the installation of glass doors, costing around GHS24,000. “Hopefully, by the end of this weekend, the place should be ready but we still have some challenges. The glass doors that we’re putting on, the glass doors alone cost us 24,000 Ghana cedis.”
He also stressed that despite these costs, community support has played a major role in pushing the project forward, with residents contributing resources and labour, and some workers even volunteering their services without taking payment. “I think residents have done tremendously very, very well because they are a backbone, they are helping us. The guys who are doing the painting haven’t taken a dime from us. That whole building that has been painted, they haven’t taken a dime from us. All we do is just provide breakfast, lunch, and that’s it. And they are doing a tremendous job at the site.
The Alagumbe founder and leader further highlighted that there is still a requirement for assistance to complete key installations such as air conditioning, washrooms, and outdoor landscaping. Additional support will also be needed for the commissioning ceremony, which is expected to bring together local chiefs, journalists, and community members.
“We still need help because, you know, things that I mentioned, the air conditioning, the tiling, the washrooms, and the chippings that we need to spread, we still need help, and it’s not easy. It’s not easy on us, but we are trying, and people are doing their best to help us get this thing going,” he said and continued, “we still need help, because on the day that the office will be commissioned, we will have a meeting there with some of the chiefs. You know, we need to transport them, we need canopies, we need chairs, and we will need item 13, of course, for journalists and people who will be coming. So we still need help to make this come into reality.”
The temporary office is being established to serve the region while the permanent passport office remains under construction.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com|101.1MHz|Gifty Eyram Kudiabor|Bolgatanga|
