Open border for 24 hours : Togbe Fiti appeals
The Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area, Togbe Amenya Fiti V, has appealed to the government to open the Aflao Border to vehicular traffic on a 24-hour basis.
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That, he said, would enable commuters cross with ease and also give a major boost to economic activities following the completion of the Tema-Aflao highway.
Currently, the border is closed to traffic at 10 p.m. on a daily basis.
Security issues
In an interview, Togbe Fiti said criminals were taking advantage of the current situation to harass and rob commuters who were unable to cross the border before it’s closed
He said the municipal assembly spent a large portion of its resources to deploy security persons to forestall criminal activities in the area.
Making reference to other countries in the sub-region that did not restrict their borders to traffic, Togbe Fiti wondered why that was not the case with the Aflao Border.
He underscored the need for the establishment of a permanent military post in the municipality to assist other security services to rapidly respond to security breaches.
Revenue target
Mr Confidence Nyadzi, an Assistant Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, told the Daily Graphic that in spite of the security challenges, his outfit was able to meet the revenue target for the year.
He enumerated some measures that had been put in place at the border to achieve the target to include strategic planning and selective placement and capacity building of officers.
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Mr Nyadzi indicated that border patrol was still a challenge and called for logistic support and personnel to effectively patrol the border.
The Sector Commander of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Mr Julius Gborgla, mentioned the lack of motorbikes and shelter for officers of the service as some of the bottlenecks militating against the work of the GIS in the area.
He said CCTV cameras at the various major entry points had broken down, making surveillance difficult.
According to him, his outfit had extended its operations to the Keta Municipality to check illegal and irregular travellers to the town as a result of the springing up of hotels, resorts, shops and educational institutions which normally attracted foreigners.