Ghana Immigration Service launches code of conduct

A document outlining the standard behaviour expected of officers of the Ghana Immigration Service and how the public can report unprofessional behaviour of employees of the service has been launched in Accra.

The 23-page code of conduct and reporting mechanism document clarifies the Ghana Immigration Service's vision, mission, values and principles, linking them with standards of professional conduct.

The code articulates the values the service wishes to foster in its leaders and personnel, and defines the desired behaviour expected of them.
 

Perceived corruption

Before launching the document, the Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery, in a speech read on his behalf by the Chief Director of the Ministry, Adelaide Anno-Kumi, said the absence of a code of conduct and reporting in an institution served as fertile ground that nurtured corrupt practices and drew back the management of public finances.

Perceived corruption in an institution, he said, led to the general lowering of morale and trust among the public.

He said the government was committed to fighting corruption and that the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) was to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public affairs, while the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor to prosecute incidents of corruption in the executive arm of government was a bold decision.

The passage of the Witness Protection Act, 2018, (Act 975), established a Witness Protection Agency to launch a witness protection scheme to protect persons expected to cooperate with law enforcement agencies as witnesses in the investigation and prosecution of cases, particularly corruption cases with respect to public officers.

The adoption of the Code of Conduct, the minister said, would be instrumental in promoting integrity, openness and transparency among officers of the Ghana Immigration Service.

"This sends a strong signal that the Ghana Immigration Service is committed to adhering to the highest level of integrity, and that ethical behaviour is expected of all officers," he said.

The minister urged the public to report unethical behaviour of immigration officers for the bad lots to be “fished out and dealt with appropriately so that together we can have a better service and a better Ghana”.

He urged the management of the service to translate the document into practical action, and ensure that it was embedded in its overall ethics framework.

“Come out with slogans visibly displayed in offices to put officers on their toes and serve as deterrents to unethical behaviour,” he said.

Interdiction

The Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service, Kwame Asuah Takyi, said the code of conduct and reporting mechanism had come at the right time to kick-start a campaign to address specific public perceptions of the service.

He said it was also to instill public confidence, partnership and commitment, as well as the promotion of integrity, accountability and transparency.

“Our profession is about integrity, and so is the law.

The basis of any profession is its underlying ethics.

Ours is no different, and our responsibility as officers enjoins us to demonstrate integrity, transparency and accountability,” he said.  

He said the interdiction of 27 officers pending service inquiry about a fortnight ago for their alleged involvement in recruitment, visa fraud and other offences demonstrated the service’s commitment to fight corruption.

He announced that more of such interdictions would soon follow and urged personnel of the service to “regard the code of conduct as your personal Bibles and Qurans”.

The Immigration Professional Standards and Ethics (IPSE) Section, he said, would serve as an ombudsman to enforce the content of the code.

Commitment

The Head of Governance and Security at the European Union, Anna Lixi, said the EU financially supported the development of the Code of Conduct and Reporting Mechanism under its project dubbed: “Strengthening Border Security in Ghana”, which is being implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development in collaboration with the Ghana Immigration Service.

She said the EU was committed to supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening border security and efficient border management.