ACCRA EXPERIENCE
Dear all,
We (Papamart-the husband of our well known Babymart, Geelado and Iwin 2) want to formally announce that we plucked the Ugwu leaves on Monday putting an end to all the waiting and trepidation. Journey to Accra was very exciting if just for the fact that we were going to get the much coveted leaves.
Independently we left Abuja not knowing ourselves and arrived Accra on Sunday evening though a few applicants arrived on Monday morning(which I consider not too good as flight might be delayed or something).
I personally planned to have a good sleep that night particularly after a very long journey, alas I slept and woke up at the middle of the night to go through Form IMM 008 and check that all the photos and International passports were intact. Geelado and Papamart told me they slept like babies but in my case, the night was so long. The more I tried to calm myself down, the more I got excited about what was going to happen at day break.
Like the day of Baby delivery, Monday, November 12th came. I left my hotel (Assemblies of God Guest House) at around 6.50am with the hope that I will do about 45mins exercise to Canadian High Commission(CHC) but amazingly I trekked for about 8 minutes and ask a guard infront of a house for the direction to the CHC and he just said “next building”. I was shocked when the next building was truly CHC. While recovering from that shock, I got another one when I met a long queue as early as 7.00am at the HC.
Everybody minded his business and not talking much to one another. Geelado and Papamart were on the queue before me and naturally, I was at the back of Papamart without knowing they were forum members. On the queue I observed that majority of us came from Nigeria some were even with their luggage as they planned going back to Lagos same day.
At the gate, all phones, camera and metals were taken before going in – U don't need to worry all these items will be individually locked and you go in with the key.
After the security check, we were told to sit in the waiting area by the security stand. As soon as it was 8.00am, we were asked to write our names in a register and thereafter got a tag which they will compel u to hang before entering the Passport dropping and collection area.
Before submission, u will be told to put 2 passport photographs of each applicant in the data page of the passport. At about 8.20am we started submitting our documents with passports through some Ghanaian staff (all female) sitting in glass cubicles. In the process of submission, I asked the applicant who I had been following right from the queue if he came for immigrant visa and he said yes. I probed further if he knew about the Nigerians forum and that was how I got to know he was Papamart and thru him, I met Geelado. We shouted, embraced and gave ourselves good hi 5's while others gazed in admiration. From that moment we became one family.
After submission, we were told to wait at the security waiting area for further instructions. The waiting was the worst of my experience in the VO. From 9.00am, they called a few people to come back inside probably to sort some issues but everybody had to wait until the visa officers went thru every application. Everybody stayed glued to his seat bcs nobody knew whose application they might call next. Papamart however stood up at a point to get drinks for himself and the rest of us(Babymart is lucky to have got such a caring husband). Around after 12noon, the security man came and said “the rest of u can now go if u like and come back for your visa around 2.30pm/3.00pm”. I heaved a sigh of relief that at last the visa was assured.
With the lead of Papamart again, we set out to visit some places in town during the break and the first was Asaka Local Restaurant in Osu area. There we ate very sumptuous meal and took pictures after which a heavy rain prevented us from going to other places.
It rained cat and dog and the time we should go back to the VO was ticking. When the rain refused to stop and it was getting to 3.00pm, we had to jump into a taxi without minding the cost and raced to the VO.
Close to the VO, something funny happened, the taxi driver despite the rain wanted to drop us some distance away from the VO gate trying to avoid entering a road where he would need to drive for another 2 kilometres before getting a place to make a U turn. As Nija boys, we compelled him to take us to the gate of the VO and reluctantly he entered the long road. Before the roundabout, we saw a place where he could make his turning and we told him to turn there. He said police will apprehend him but we told him “which police is looking at u in this rain”. He replied sharply that here police does not take money when they hold u o. The 3 of us looked at ourselves and felt sorry for Nigerian police that has been known internationally as a corrupt force.
Back to the VO, we were assembled at the visa collection area about 3.30pm and passport/visa collection started in turns. We got ours around 3.50pm.
Caution: It is important u go tru all details in each of the passports one after the other atimes some mistakes may be in names, DOB etc.
Advice on Accommodation
I will suggest Assemblies of God Guest House which is barely 8mins walking distance to the VO.
Room is 50 cedis and there are 2 separate beds which two people can share if they want; but you must call them for reservation early as they have just few rooms.
This guest house is not the best in terms of facilities but it's ok. To avoid been starved incase your hotel does not have a restaurant and no place to eat nearby, pack a few dry snacks from Nija.
Advice on Taxis
From airport, u may get 8 cedis if u take cab from a little distance away from the airport.
Going back to the airport is cheaper. I paid 5 cedis (Am I an Ijebu man?)
Advice on flight booking
Better to book Sunday evening for going and Tuesday morning for return. If ur schedule is tight, u may book same day return trip. This may put you under intense pressure if ur name is not called for visa collection in time. Some guys experienced this when we went.
On behalf of Geelado, Babymart/Papamart and myself, I want to thank all the seniors from whom we got the experience that made the trip so easy. It is our belief that forum members can pick some things from our shared experience too.
We pray that as many that are expecting one update or the other, this 11th hour miracle wind will blow to ur direction. We love u all.
Congrats to Mamadee on the receipt of her PPR.
