DCI Dr. Prosper Price Delali Asima, Western Regional Commander of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has hinted that since the beginning of 2021, the Elubo Sector Command of the Service has refused entry to 2,015 persons to Ghana.
He added that the Sector has also refused departure to 218 to Cote D’Ivoire whereas all those intercepted coming have been repatriated to their home country.
Against this backdrop, he appealed to the good people of the Western Region, key stakeholders and the general public to continually support the efforts of the GIS to effectively secure the borders in the supreme interest of the country.
The Regional Commander gave the hint when he paid an unannounced working visit to the Elubo Sector to apprise himself with the prevailing Border security situation.
The visit formed part of his routine strategy to ensure that the Western part of the country which borders Ivory Coast was completely sealed off, and in full compliance with the President’s directive on 22nd March, 2020 in the wake of the ravaging coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
He took the opportunity to boost the morale of officers and also shared ideas with Commanders of sister security agencies and other stakeholders involved in the collective resolve to secure the Western Borders.
He however, did not mince words in addressing some of the recent media reportage on some alleged misconduct by a few selfish Officers and warned them to refrain from such unacceptable behavior.
According to him, the situation goes to the heart of possibly demotivating their hard working colleagues, embarrassing the Service, and also derailing gains made so far by reducing public interest in the good work they are doing.
DCI Dr. Asima admonished the Senior Officers present to make sure that the mandate and the values (Professionalism, Integrity, Human Rights and Learning Organization) of GIS were religiously applied at all material times by the rank and file, especially in the discharge of their duties.
Chief Superintendent Joshua Krakue, Elubo Sector Commander who welcomed the Regional Commander disclosed that all the necessary security measures have been put in place together with the Elubo Border Security Committee (BORDSEC) to deter and to arrest all recalcitrant travelers who may out of desperation resort to the use of some of the unapproved routes.
He mentioned that his Officers together with those deployed from the other Commands within the region have since the closure of the borders sustained 24-hour patrols/surveillance at both the main Elubo Border and all the identified unapproved routes within the jurisdiction.
Chief Supt Krakue mentioned the increased number of officers on daily patrols and constantly engaging the membership of BORDSEC to evaluate their Border Security Operational Strategies as additional security measures taken by the Sector.
He added that the Sector was also courting the support of the chiefs and elders of the surrounding communities and transport operators to impress upon their people to collaborate by providing useful information for prompt action.
He announced that intelligence picked by the Sector showed a cabal of canoe operators and their counterpart drivers who have been contriving to outwit the operations of the security agencies by taking money from some recalcitrant travellers with the intention of ferrying them across the River Tano.
He therefore assured the arrest and prosecution of these drivers and their cohorts and affirmed his fullest commitment to the President’s decision to extend the closure of the Land Borders, as a measure toward preventing further importation of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially through the Western Borders.
Story: Seth Ameyaw Danquah
