Be vigilant at various border posts
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Mr Cletus Avoka, has tasked personnel of the service to be vigilant at the country’s various border posts so that non-Ghanaian nationals do not have the opportunity to cross into the country to meddle in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.
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He insisted that it had been the concern of all political players and everyone that the November 7, 2016 general election should be credible, transparent, and free and fair for everyone to accept the final results and, therefore, it was incumbent on GIS officers to act professionally to avoid infiltrators into the country to participate in the process.
“You must be on the lookout and very much alert at your respective border areas of operation not to allow foreign nationals to come in to interfere with our electoral process and you are also expected to act professionally and be disciplined officers so that the November polls will be credible at the end of the day,” the GIS board chairman maintained.
Durbar/socio-economic development
Mr Avoka, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Zebilla Constituency in the Upper East Region, gave the caution when he addressed a durbar held in honour of the visiting GIS board to the Western Region in Sekondi.
The interaction with the immigration officers in the region came after similar ones in the Volta, Northern and Upper East regions as part of the board’s nationwide tour to acquaint themselves at first hand with the operations of personnel vis-à-vis their difficulties.
The former majority leader in Parliament said the board was not oblivious of the predicament the officers were going through, however, that notwithstanding, they were discharging their duties with confidence and diligence.
Mr Avoka emphasised that as immigration officers, they had a unique role in the socio-economic development of the nation, and that they should continue to discharge such a responsibility conscientiously. He added that the board would do everything possible to address their challenges.
“You are the first eyes and faces of the country; at every village, town, border posts, airport and so as worthy ambassadors, your kind reception to visitors will speak well of you as individuals and about the country,” he told the officers.
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Unnecessary demands/weapons
The GIS board leader also advised the personnel not to make unnecessary demands from visiting foreign nationals since that might cast a slur on the country and its entire people, and added that they would go back to their homes it speak bad about Ghana.
The Zebilla MP indicated that under the new GIS Law 2016 (Act 908), officers of the service were now permitted to handle weapons on their patrol duties but cautioned them not to misapply the guns by issuing threats to those people they lived with at the borders, adding that a comprehensive training programme would be held for them to enable them handle the weapons and ammunitions properly.
Communication channels/revenue
The Director of Immigration, Mr Felix Yaw Sarpong, observed that some officers were using the press and the service platform as means to solving their challenges without resorting to the appropriate channels of communications within the service.
He, therefore, reminded them various about the oath of secrecy they had sworn already and the need to be discreet and circumspect, pointing out that any officer found culpable would face severe sanctions as messages for the consumption of the service should not appear on any platform and elsewhere.
The Acting Western Regional Commander of the service, Mr Smart Osei Bonsu, who catalogued the problems confronting personnel in the region, however, disclosed that in 2015, the region generated GH¢1, 035, 425.00 and $23, 200.00.