By Fuseini Abdulai Braimah

Copyright modernghana

I bumped into some Ghanaians domiciled in The Netherlands expressing dissatisfaction with the way business is done at our Embassies, our Airports, our hotels, — our everything. They remarked that you walk into almost any government office in Ghana today, and chances are you will leave more frustrated than when you entered. Across Ghana, the story is disturbingly the same. Long queues, idle staff, endless bureaucracy, and in some cases, blatant corruption. For many Ghanaians, accessing public services has become a nightmare that drains time, energy, and resources.

The situation is so dire that some citizens now whisper a dangerous thought: only military regimes have the courage to enforce discipline in public service. This nostalgia, though misplaced, points to a deeper reality. Our democratic governments have failed to instill a culture of accountability and efficiency in state institutions. Unless something is done, the rising frustration could easily spill over into social unrest, giving opportunists justification to destabilize our democracy.

The Daily Frustrations of Citizens

Everyday interactions with state institutions expose a systemic rot that has eaten deep into the fabric of Ghana’s public service. At the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), citizens often spend entire days trying to renew licenses or register vehicles. The queues are long, and the process is slow. Unless one knows an insider or pays “facilitation fees,” one is forced to return multiple times.

The Passport Office is no better. Ghanaians in urgent need of passports often complain of delays that can last weeks or months, unless they pay hefty sums to fast-track the process. Despite recent digitization efforts, middlemen still thrive, feeding on the inefficiency of the system. Ghanaians pay between GHc1,500 and GHc2,500 for Express Service, and between GHc800 and GHc1,000 for the Standard Service. But for the difference in amounts charged, there often is nothing express about the Express Service. Even then, the drilling one undergoes from one desk to the other can be very stressful.

The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) registration centers are another example. Long queues, machines breaking down, and indifferent staff mean that what should take 30 minutes can take days or weeks. Sick people, who should be resting, often collapse in the sun waiting for their turn.

The Lands Commission is notorious for delays and bottlenecks. Land title registration can drag on for years, with documents mysteriously missing until “something small” changes hands. Businesses are stifled because without proper documentation, they cannot expand, borrow, or invest.

Even at the Registrar General’s Department, where reforms have digitized many services, the human element still creates bottlenecks. Staff attitudes, unclear processes, and repeated demands for missing paperwork frustrate entrepreneurs. Starting a business in Ghana remains unnecessarily stressful.

The National Identification Authority is another place no one will visit without complaining bitterly. A friend was in Navrongo to have his ID card replaced, and narrated his ordeal. Imagine leaving home at 4 am to queue, and meeting 12 early birds. At 10 am the staff report for duty, and after 30 minutes you are informed that only 10 people are served each day. For a week now and after three visits, my friend is told that the network is down. What he found very annoying was on the second day when he left home at 3.30am and was lucky to be amongst the first 10. The staff again came to work around 10am, and the announcement was that 5 people could not finish the process the previous day. So, in effect, only the first 5 people were selected. What makes Ghanaians deserve such treatment?

At hospitals and clinics, patients suffer endless waits. Doctors and nurses, many dedicated, are undermined by administrative inefficiencies. Records are misplaced, staff show indifference, and patients are sometimes treated as nuisances rather than clients in need of help.

The Police, who should be custodians of law and order, are neck-deep in misconduct. Citizens report that simple services like getting a police extract for a Ghana Card replacement cost anywhere from GHc50 to GHc200. The amount depends on the mood of the officer or the desperation of the client. Official receipts are rare. Worse still, some officers openly extort motorists, knowing that reporting them is futile.

Even the banking sector, once an oasis of professionalism, has begun to sink into this culture of inefficiency. Customers frequently complain of long queues, idle tellers, and unnecessary delays. Instead of completing a transaction in 10–15 minutes, clients waste up to an hour. In some cases, tellers count money multiple times using machines, adding no value but wasting valuable customer time. We better not talk about the insurance companies.

When you have business doing at Births and Deaths, the Courts, Immigration Service, CEPS, GRA — better prepare your mind for a dose of frustrations. Together, these daily frustrations create a sense that the entire public service is broken and incapable of meeting the needs of Ghanaians.

The Nature of the RotThe rot is not only about delays; it is cultural. Public sector workers often arrive at work late, spend hours chatting on their phones, or gossiping with colleagues. Many close early, leaving clients stranded. Productivity is shockingly low, yet salaries are paid at the end of the month without consequence.

A disturbing form of corruption also thrives — corruption by frustration. Officials may not openly demand bribes, but they create so many obstacles that clients eventually offer money just to get things moving. It is extortion in disguise, sanctioned by inefficiency. More troubling are reports of sexual exploitation. Desperate jobseekers, especially young women, are coerced into offering sexual favors to secure employment. Clients seeking critical services are sometimes subjected to similar harassment. Such abuse deepens inequality, humiliates victims, and entrenches distrust in public institutions.

Underlying all this is a lack of respect for the citizen. Public servants often treat clients as though they are intruders disturbing their peace, rather than as taxpayers whose contributions pay their salaries. This attitude destroys confidence in government and fuels resentment.

Why People Look Back at Military Regimes

Many Ghanaians, particularly older generations, recall how military regimes under Acheampong or Rawlings instilled fear-driven discipline. Workers reported to the office on time because lateness was punished. Corruption was met with swift, sometimes brutal, sanctions. Under Rawlings, “house cleaning exercises” targeted corrupt officials, striking fear across the service. Whether these measures were sustainable or not, they created a perception that soldiers could enforce discipline where civilians could not.

Today, under civilian rule, the opposite appears true. Politicians prioritize political loyalty over competence, shielding errant staff. Oversight mechanisms are weak, and sanctions are rare. Citizens see this inaction and conclude — rightly or wrongly — that only the military can fix Ghana’s indiscipline. Yet history warns us that coup d’etats bring more harm than good. Military regimes suppress freedoms, lack checks and balances, and often create their own brand of corruption. But the nostalgia persists, fed by today’s glaring governance failures.

Civilian Governments and the Failure of Enforcement

Why do civilian governments fail where soldiers seem to succeed? Part of the answer lies in politicization. Public sector appointments are often rewards for party loyalty rather than merit. Heads of departments, eager to protect their political patrons, turn a blind eye to wrongdoing. Another factor is weak accountability. Ghana lacks strong, independent watchdogs to enforce discipline across the service. Even where rules exist, implementation is inconsistent.

District Chief Executives (DCEs) and ministers, instead of focusing on service delivery, are often consumed by electoral politics. Fear of alienating party foot soldiers means they hesitate to sanction misconduct. Civil society organizations, though active, lack the teeth to enforce compliance. Citizens who complain are either ignored or told to come back later. The result is a culture where wrongdoing thrives unchecked.

Why Governments Must Take This Seriously

No government in Ghana can afford to treat the rot in public service as “business as usual.” The damage is far-reaching and multi-dimensional. First, it undermines trust in democracy. Citizens who consistently encounter indiscipline, corruption, and disrespect in government offices begin to lose faith in democratic institutions. When people feel that governments are incapable of delivering basic services, they become more receptive to dangerous alternatives, including coups and authoritarianism. For a country that has prided itself as a beacon of democracy in Africa, this is a direct threat to national stability.

Second, it erodes economic growth. Investors, both local and foreign judge countries by the efficiency of their institutions. Long delays at the Lands Commission discourage real estate developers. Frustrations at the Registrar-General’s Department discourage entrepreneurs. Corruption in the police service creates uncertainty for businesses. No investor wants to put money where bureaucracy and extortion choke progress.

Third, it destroys social cohesion. When ordinary people cannot access healthcare, renew documents, or resolve land disputes without bribes, resentment builds. Young people, already struggling with unemployment, feel alienated. This alienation can easily be weaponized by agitators, leading to protests and unrest.

Fourth, it affects Ghana’s international image. Donors, partners, and international agencies carefully monitor governance practices. A culture of indiscipline and corruption weakens Ghana’s bargaining power and reduces our chances of securing strategic partnerships. And finally, it threatens the legitimacy of every government that fails to act. Citizens may tolerate hardship, but they will not tolerate blatant disrespect and corruption forever. If government does not take bold action, frustration could reach a tipping point, and by then, no amount of political rhetoric will restore trust. In short, governments must act not only because service delivery is a moral and constitutional duty, but because failure to act is a direct threat to Ghana’s political stability, economic development, and democratic survival.

The Wider ImplicationsThe consequences of this rot go beyond personal inconvenience. Businesses lose billions of cedis annually to delays, inefficiency, and corruption. Foreign investors, already wary of Ghana’s unstable power supply and unpredictable policies, are further discouraged by a sluggish bureaucracy. The youth, facing high unemployment, watch as opportunities are denied them unless they have connections or offer bribes. Frustration builds, creating fertile ground for unrest. Ultimately, the dysfunction undermines democracy itself. When citizens lose faith in civilian governments, they become susceptible to calls for authoritarian alternatives. This is dangerous for Ghana, a country once celebrated as a model of democratic stability in Africa.

The Way ForwardFixing the rot requires courage, innovation, and genuine political will. Ghana does not need another coup; it needs bold reforms within the democratic framework.

Revive and resource the Office of the Ombudsman. Citizens need an independent body to report misconduct and seek redress. Ombudsman offices should be decentralized, with agents in every district. Enforce performance contracts. Public servants must be held to measurable targets. Lateness, absenteeism, and inefficiency should attract real sanctions, including dismissal. Accelerate digitization. Reducing face-to-face interactions limits opportunities for bribery. Passport applications, land records, business registration, and police reports should all be accessible online, with minimal human interference. Empower civil society and community-based organizations. Local watchdogs can monitor service delivery, collect complaints, and pressure authorities to act. Reward excellence. Public servants who excel should be recognized and promoted, creating incentives for others to improve. Strengthen the role of DCEs and heads of departments. They must be evaluated not just on political loyalty, but on service delivery and efficiency. Protect whistleblowers. Citizens and staff who expose corruption or misconduct must be shielded from retaliation.

These steps will not solve everything overnight, but they can gradually build a culture of discipline and accountability.

My ThoughtsGhana is sitting on a time bomb. The rot in government departments is not just inefficiency, it is a poison that seeps into every corner of society, corroding trust, strangling businesses, and fueling anger among the youth. Civilian governments must take this seriously. This is not a matter of convenience or political expediency; it is a matter of national survival. If leaders continue to treat misconduct in the public service as a minor irritation, they risk losing the very legitimacy that keeps them in power. What is needed is not empty talk, but decisive action. Stricter supervision, independent watchdogs, digitization of services, sanctions for wrongdoing, and rewards for excellence. Ghanaians do not need another coup. What they need is a government brave enough to clean up the mess and prove that democracy can deliver discipline, efficiency, and dignity. Anything less will push citizens further toward disillusionment, and disillusionment is a dangerous fuel for instability.

FUSEINI ABDULAI BRAIMAH+233208282575 / +233550558008afusb55@gmail.com