Let’s collaborate to check cross-border crimes — Gnassingbé
The Togolese President, Mr Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, has called for increased collaboration between Ghana and Togo to check cross-border crimes, which are a major threat to human security.
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He said the two countries must overlook the artificial boundary that separates them and speak with one voice to attack drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes that were becoming sophisticated on the West Coast.
"We should not allow our borders to become incubators for drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes," he said at a state dinner hosted in his honour by President John Dramani Mahama at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra last Monday as part of his three-day visit to Ghana.
Acts such as human trafficking, smuggling of migrants, money-laundering and trafficking in firearms, have characterised criminal activities in countries along the Gulf of Guinea. Organisations including the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime have called for tougher action to combat the crimes.
President Gnassingbé said closely marking the criminals who operated along the borders would not only improve security in the two countries but also facilitate economic development.
He said matters bordering on security and socio-economic development of their people should occupy a central point in relations between the two countries.
To achieve that, he said, mutual trust should be a key element that must be carried on board at all times.
Tension now history
President Gnassingbé stated that the tension that existed between Togo and Ghana now belonged to history and there was no turning back.
He said, for instance, that the establishment of a common border post at Noepe had paved the way for new bilaterals.
History
Tracing the history behind relations between the two countries, he said they dated back to the period of the two founding Presidents, Olympio and Kwame Nkrumah.
In 1969, Ghana's then military leader, Gen Ankrah, visited Togo at the invitation of General Gnassingbé Eyadema, thereby further strengthening the relations.
Mr Gnassingbé commended President Mahama for his strong leadership in Ghana and the ECOWAS.
President Mahama
President Mahama said artificial boundaries did not matter to the peoples of the two countries because they had many things in common.
He said he had accepted a suggestion by the Togolese leader that the Noepe common border should operate 24 hours to facilitate trade and other human activities.
He said plans were far advanced for the joint development of the Juale multi-purpose dam project to facilitate constant power supply to the northern parts of both countries.
"Similarly, an MoU on the Sogakope-Lome Drinking Water Supply Project will soon be signed by the two countries for work to start on the construction of a water treatment plant which will use the lower Volta River to produce treated water for transmission to Lome, Togo.
"When completed, all towns and villages along the transmission pipe route in Ghana will also be supplied with the treated water, with beneficiary communities including Adidome, Sogakope, Akatsi, Abor, Anyako, Klikor, Exi, Agbozume, Denu, Tokor Betsima, Gamadzra and Avoeme," Mr Mahama added.