Take advantage of 24-hour border opening – President urges Aflao residents

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has entreated residents within the border enclave at Aflao in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region to take advantage of the 24-hour opening of the Ghana-Togo border to improve their livelihoods through cross-border trading in the area.

The President noted that the government’s decision to leave the country’s eastern frontier opened was to boost trade between Ghana and the rest of the West African sub-region by allowing the free flow of goods and services at all times.

The Ghana-Togo border, for nearly two decades, had always been closed for business between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., until August this year when the two governments agreed to keep the frontier opened for 24-hour business activities.

In a speech read on his behalf by the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Kofi Dzamesi, at this year’s Godigbe Festival of the chiefs and people of the Aflao Traditional Area last Saturday, President Akufo-Addo urged the residents to also cooperate with the border agencies to ensure the safety and security of the frontier.

He, however, cautioned agencies at the border not to engage in any practice that would jeopardise the government’s agenda of creating a friendly environment for businesses to thrive.

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Assurance

The president also indicated that his government was on course with its industrialisation agenda for the country through the one-district, one-factory programme, and gave an assurance that the policy would not be used to stifle existing industries.

He stated that there were proposals for the establishment of a coconut processing factory in the Ketu South Municipality, adding that: “It is my hope that while the government is trying to create job avenues and create wealth, we don’t lose sight of protecting the existing factories that Ketu South is blessed with.”

The Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area, Togbui Amenya Fiti V, who marked the 20th anniversary of his coronation during the festival, commended the government for heeding to their request to open up the border for 24 hours, but also appealed to the president to help resolve the political crisis in neighbouring Togo.