Why should one get a witness before getting a passport?

Dear Editor,

I seem not to understand why if one wants a passport in this country, they have to get a witness to sign before they can secure a passport. it makes it look as the 'whom you know' syndrome in another way.The sad aspect of it is that, the people whom one is supposed to turn their forms for, for signage are Doctors, lawyers, head of institutions, clergy men and people with some degree of prominence. my question is, if i do not know any body in this category who will witness for me, does it it mean i can not have a basic document like a passport? its high time we stopped this method in knowing the genuineness of people in this country. Almost on every kind of public form you have to fill its is about some one witnessing or guaranteeing for you.

In as much as some forms like the presidential aspiring form has to be endorsed by somebody, it should not be a generalizing thing that must necessarily be applied to all sectors.

In some countries like the USA, when you are born your birth certificate, passport is already ready and so you will find some people who have become old now, still having their baby pictures on their passport because everything is electronic.perhaps we can also adopt this and save people the stress in securing a passport which is a basic right and not a privilege.

Ivan Kojo Mawunyo Agyarie,

Ghana Institute of Journalism