Aflao (Volta Regio) July 2026
An open letter addressed to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, and Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs is calling for an immediate end to what it describes as the discriminatory profiling of genuine Ghanaian citizens based on the spelling and pronunciation of their names.
The letter alleges that some officials of the Passport Office, National Identification Authority (NIA) and the Births and Deaths Registry have questioned or delayed applications from citizens particularly those from border communities because their names bear Francophone spellings commonly found among Ewe-speaking populations with historical ties to neighbouring the Togo.
Mr Desdeddy Fogah Nukunu, a politician and a native of Aflao who authored the open letter argues that G, ana’s Constitution and the Citizenship Act, 2000 (Act 591), determine citizenship by law and ancestry, not by the linguistic appearance of a person’s name, and warns that the practice undermines the constitutional rights of legitimate Ghanaian citizens.
“Citizenship must be determined by law and the Constitution not by the spelling, pronunciation or perceived foreign appearance of a person’s name.” Fogah said
The letter cites the case of a university student whose passport application was allegedly delayed despite presenting all the required documents because her surname contained the letters “OU”, reflecting a French spelling convention.
Mr Fogah explains that many residents of border communities such as Aflao, Fihokope and Agbogbome attended school in Togo, resulting in French spellings of otherwise Ghanaian names without affecting their nationality.
The petition calls on the government to issue clear directives to stop name-based profiling, train public officers on Ghana’s linguistic diversity, and establish an appeals mechanism for applicants who believe they have been unfairly treated.
“There is a clear distinction between lawful verification and discriminatory profiling, we are calling on the agencies to stop tagging us Togolese just by seeing the spelling and the sound of our names.”
Mr Fogah, is calling on the government to act swiftly by directing all relevant agencies to end any form of name-based profiling, uphold the constitutional rights of all citizens, and ensure that citizenship is determined solely by the laws of Ghana. It further urges the authorities to adopt clear administrative guidelines and strengthen oversight to prevent discrimination against Ghanaians whose names reflect Francophone or other linguistic influences.
