The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has commissioned 223 cadet officers at a colourful passing-out parade at the Immigration Service Training Academy at Assin Fosu in the Central Region.
Last Wednesday’s parade, which celebrated the successful completion of six months of intensive training for the officers of Intake 19, was attended by the Minister for the Interior, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak.
Also in attendance were the Comptroller-General of the GIS, officers from other sister security agencies, the Member of Parliament for the area and other dignitaries.
Kekeli Ofosu was adjudged the overall best cadet officer, with several others receiving awards for outstanding performance in various categories during the training.
The minister also administered the Oath of Secrecy to the new officers and inaugurated an e-library facility for the training academy.
Virtues, discipline
Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak congratulated the newly commissioned officers and urged them to uphold the virtues of discipline, integrity, and patriotism instilled in them during their training.
He warned against all forms of corrupt practices, reminding them of their vital role in national security.
He also emphasised that the government remained committed to strengthening the human resource base of the security services, especially the GIS, given the increasing complexities in security management.
“The government of John Dramani Mahama will strive to increase the human resources of our security services to improve the overall security of this country,” he said.
“We are determined to rid the country of all forms of crime and have resolved to provide all security services with the necessary resources to enforce the law effectively and without interference,” he added.
Operational efficiency
Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak emphasised that the GIS played a strategic role in protecting the nation’s borders and that, despite logistical challenges, the service continued to show commendable resilience and innovation.
He urged the leadership of the service to work on improving operational efficiency, especially in processing immigration permits for foreign nationals.
“From next year, your resident permit processes should be automated to increase efficiency.
The GIS has to adopt a more innovative and robust approach to managing migration in the country’s collective interest.
“You are already embracing modern technology, continue to do so to meet your goals,” he said.
