Diplomatic passport will take me to the next level – Wode Maya

Ghanaian YouTuber and travel content creator Wode Maya says receiving a diplomatic passport will transform his work and protect him from deportations he has often faced.

Speaking after meeting with the Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa at the ministry, Wode Maya said he will now have the opportunity to put previously uncomfortable episodes of his travel behind him and aim higher.

“I’ve been arrested, deported because of the passport I use, right? So I guess this time around, no more deportation, no more arresting,” he said after receiving the honour. “I believe that it will enable me to do better and bigger with what I do.

“The main goal of what I do is to showcase the beauty of Ghana and the rest of the continent and I believe this passport will elevate me to another level and I’m here for the next level.”

Wode Maya, born Berthold Ackon, was one of five distinguished Ghanaians presented with diplomatic passports by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their global influence.

Others included reggae musician Rocky Dawuni, broadcaster Anita Erskine, visual artist Ibrahim Mahama, and entrepreneur Dentaa Amoateng MBE.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who announced the honour last month said the recognition was aimed at strengthening Ghana’s global connections.

“Their efforts have projected Ghana positively on the global stage and deepened international recognition of the country’s creative and entrepreneurial excellence,” he stated.

Reflecting on his struggles, Wode Maya recounted past humiliations. “I’m very delighted about the fact that we’ve been doing this all our lives, and finally there’s a government that realizes that what we are doing needs to be appreciated,” he said.

He joked that he would be returning to the Australian embassy to get a visa to the country where he was once unceremoniously deported.

The vlogger has previously been deported from countries including Uganda and the Dominican Republic for lacking proper travel documentation. With his new diplomatic status, he believes such barriers are behind him.

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Meanwhile, Ablakwa announced that Ghana will grant visa-free entry to visitors arriving for December’s Black Star Experience as part of efforts to reconnect with the African diaspora.

“We are demonstrating right from the get-go that when we say we want to reunite with our brothers and sisters, we mean it,” he said.