The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has honoured 10 of its officers for impounding contraband goods and refusing to take bribe.
The 10 officers, made up of three senior officers and seven junior officers based in Akanu and Hamile stations, were promoted and decorated, apart from receiving certificates and undisclosed amounts of money and plaques.
Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, Comptroller-General of GIS in a short but impressive ceremony yesterday in Accra, described the officers’ response to duty as meritorious acts of bravery, diligence, integrity and devotion to work.
The three senior officers honoured were Felix Agyemang-Bosompen, who has been promoted to Assistant Commissioner, Godson Atobrah, elevated to Assistant Commissioner and Razak Mohamed, upgraded to Deputy Superintendent.
The seven junior officers promoted were Samuel Ampofo, Senior Inspector, Prince Osei Bonsu, Senior Inspector, Benjamin Duah, Inspector, Kofi Asante, Inspector, Godfred Amponsah, Assistant Inspector, Israel Gidisu, Immigration Control Officer and Maurice Logochura, Immigration Control Officer.
Mr Takyi said four of the officers stationed at Akanu Sector Command on July 8, 2019, intercepted volumes of petroleum products being smuggled across the border to Togo, whilst six officers of the Hamile Sector Command similarly intercepted several bags of fertilisers at Fielmon near Hamile, which were being smuggled from Ghana into Burkina Faso.
He said the fertilisers were meant for the government flagship programme, “Planting for Food and Jobs”; the officers refused an offer of GH₵ 25,000 from the smugglers after the arrest.
Mr Takyi said he was personally elated to have the opportunity to promote and decorate the officers, saying that, “these officers have received special promotion to give meaning and importance to dedicated service.”
“On behalf of the Ministry of Interior, the Immigration Service Council, the Directorate and management of GIS, I congratulate you on your special promotion and urge you not to rest on your oars,” he said.
He was hopeful that, this first-ever awards and recognition would not only become one of the desirable standards and culture of the service, but a motivation for other officers to emulate and even do better.
“As officers, we are responsible for the image of GIS, and so, we have all the opportunities to make the Service a proud and an enviable institution in the eyes of the general public and the international community,” he said.
Mr Takyi said GIS was currently witnessing some form of structural transformation, which would give meaning to the mission of the Service to build a stronger and better Ghana by operating fair but firm immigration work systems that meet the social and economic needs of the country.
BY LAWRENCE MARKWEI AND YUNUSAH ESSANDOH
