By Daniel Bampoe
A major legal and political controversy is unfolding around the Mahama administration’s newly launched electronic visa (E-Visa) programme, following threats of legal action from a private contractor claiming the government is duplicating an already existing visa automation agreement signed under the previous Akufo-Addo administration.
The dispute centres on claims by TGN Digital Security Ghana Limited and its Swiss partner, Orrell Fussli Security Printing Switzerland Ltd (OFS), that they already hold a valid long-term Public-Private Partnership agreement with the Government of Ghana covering the automation of visa processing systems, including electronic visa infrastructure at the foreign missions and the Kotoka International Airport.
The controversy erupted shortly after President John Dramani Mahama officially announced the rollout of a new online E-Visa platform during this year’s African Union Day celebrations.
“Effective immediately, all holders of African passports travelling to Ghana for business or tourism will apply for visas exclusively via the new online e-Visa platform, and they will pay no visa fee,” President Mahama declared during the launch ceremony on May 25, 2026.
The government presented the initiative as part of broader digital reforms aimed at modernising Ghana’s immigration and border management systems while promoting easier travel access across Africa.
However, TGN Digital Security and OFS insist that the announcement ignores an existing contractual arrangement approved years earlier by Cabinet, authorised by the Public Procurement Authority, and ratified by Parliament.
According to the companies, the agreement signed on February 20, 2020, under the Akufo-Addo administration already granted them authority to develop and manage Ghana’s E-Visa and digital visa processing systems under a 10-year PPP framework.
The firms argue that the current government’s attempt to launch what they describe as a “parallel visa platform” could amount to a breach of contract capable of exposing the state to huge financial liabilities and possible judgment debts.
In strongly worded letters addressed to the Presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other state institutions, the companies warned that the agreement remains legally valid, active, and has never been terminated through any lawful process.
According to the contractors, the existing deal already covers critical components of Ghana’s digital visa infrastructure, including online visa applications, digital payment systems, ICAO-compliant Digital Travel Authorisation platforms, centralised visa databases at the Ghana Immigration Service headquarters, public key infrastructure systems at NITA, and verification systems installed at the Kotoka International Airport.
The firms further claim that systems under the agreement have already been deployed in more than 40 Ghanaian diplomatic missions around the world.
They also insist that substantial investments have already been made into technology transfer, local employment generation, and infrastructure development under the partnership.
The standoff intensified after Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa reportedly described the newly launched E-Visa initiative as a fresh innovation not initiated by the previous government.
TGN/OFS strongly disputed that claim, insisting the current rollout merely duplicates infrastructure and systems already developed under their existing agreement.
In a separate memorandum addressed to Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, the companies appealed for urgent presidential intervention and requested a full inter-agency technical and contractual review before the government proceeds further with implementation.
The memorandum warned that bypassing an active PPP contract could damage the international investment reputation and create concerns about the country’s commitment to respecting long-term contractual obligations.
The firms also cautioned that running parallel E-Visa systems could create fragmented visa databases, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, operational inefficiencies, and unnecessary duplication of infrastructure.
Adding to the controversy are allegations surrounding the awarding of the new E-Visa contract.
Claims circulating within political and administrative circles allege that Presidential Executive Secretary Callistus Mahama directed the Foreign Affairs Ministry to award the new project to Rock Africa, a company reportedly linked to businessman Francis Gavor.
The allegations further claim that repeated notifications and concerns raised by TGN/OFS to government officials have not received any formal response.
Neither the Presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor officials named in the allegations have publicly responded to the claims.
The latest dispute comes against the backdrop of the government’s wider digital border security reforms introduced after the 2025 launch of the Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Records (API-PNR) system at the airports.
That presidential directive ordered the expansion of integrated border management systems across airports, land borders, and sea entry points, including the development of a fully integrated E-Visa platform.
TGN/OFS now insists that any new E-Visa implementation must operate strictly within the framework of the already existing contractual arrangement rather than through a separate platform.
