Ndiho Media,LLC.

By Ndiho Media
Ghana’s abrupt decision to shut down its embassy in Washington, D.C., has left dozens of citizens stranded, many of whom traveled from across the U.S. to pick up passports and visas.

Ndiho Media spoke to frustrated applicants gathered outside the embassy, which was locked. “I flew in from Michigan, only to find the place shut down with no explanation,” said Derrick. “There was no email, no alert — just locked doors.”

Gift, who traveled from Atlanta, was equally disheartened. “I had an appointment to renew my passport. I’m taking my adopted parents to Ghana for the first time, and now everything’s up in the air.”
Others came from New York, Georgia, and California — all reporting no prior notice from embassy staff.
The closure follows a damning audit ordered by Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, revealing a fraudulent visa scheme run by a local IT staffer. For at least five years, a local staffer and his collaborators allegedly directed applicants to a private company, where they charged unauthorized fees and pocketed the money.
In response, Ablakwa dismissed staffers, recalled all foreign ministry staff, suspended local hires, dissolved the IT department, and invited the Auditor-General to conduct a forensic audit. The embassy will remain closed temporarily for a complete systems overhaul.
President Mahama’s administration has pledged zero tolerance for corruption, but for stranded travelers, the damage is done. “We support the clean-up,” said Derrick, “but this could’ve been handled way better.”