Director of Passports at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Louis Kwame Obeng, has cautioned the general public against using the services of middlemen in acquiring passports.

“People who are in need of an emergency service often resort to middlemen with the notion that they will aid in speeding up the process of acquiring the passport. “But contacting a middle person will not in any way help you get a quicker service,” he said.

Speaking on the Super Morning Show, Tuesday, Louis Kwame Obeng urged members of the public to seek assistance from the Officer In Charge (OIC) of any application center when they need a passport.

“When you need assistance, walk straight to the application center where you submitted the application, explain to the OIC that you have an emergency and the OIC will immediately communicate with us at the head office and we’ll handle it for you,” he said.

Mr Obeng was on the Show to educate the public on the passport acquisition process.

He pointed out, that the issue of middlemen has been a major challenge his outfit has been faced with, over time. And significant progress has been made in eliminating such persons from the system.

He therefore warned against fees charged by these persons for emergency services. ‘They are unapproved, therefore, applicants must take note and refrain from making such payments,” he explained.

“We have not introduced fee-paying emergency service. I’m sure we’ll get there some day but based on the current situation that we’re operating, there is no extra fee required when you apply for an emergency passport,” he said.