Ghanaian highlife musician Kwaisey Pee has expressed frustration over what he calls the prevalence of political deception in Ghana, sharing a personal experience with the recently commissioned Electronic-Gate (E-gate) system at Kotoka International Airport.
Speaking on Power FM, Kwaisey Pee recounted his enthusiasm to use the new E-gate system, which was intended to simplify immigration processes. “I was abroad when I heard about the E-gates at the airport, and I thought it was a great idea. In countries like the UK or the US, I don’t join immigration queues; I just place my passport on the machine, and I’m cleared. I was excited that Ghana was replicating this system,” he said.
However, his excitement quickly turned to embarrassment when he attempted to use the system upon arrival. “When I got to the machine and pulled out my card, the staff started shouting at me to stop. They told me the E-gate wasn’t functional. This was surprising because I had heard otherwise,” he explained.
Kwaisey Pee criticized such instances, emphasizing the need for government initiatives to genuinely benefit citizens. Drawing comparisons, he praised leaders like Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, citing his leadership quality as the reason for his prolonged tenure. “Once you perform as a government, the people will naturally retain you,” he added.
His comments come in the aftermath of Ghana’s recent elections, where the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) suffered a significant loss to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The E-gates, commissioned weeks before the election by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, were touted as a major technological advancement. Dr. Bawumia highlighted their ability to integrate databases, such as Ghana’s National Watch List and Interpol’s Global Watch List, promising to reduce airport processing times to as little as 15 minutes.
Despite the optimism surrounding the project, concerns have emerged regarding its implementation, with critics arguing that it may have been rushed ahead of the elections.
