The Upper West Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, has appealed to the Comptroller-General of Immigration (CGI), Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi,to post more officers to the region to maintain peace and strengthen security at the region’s unapproved routes along the Ghana Burkina Faso boundary.
He made the call when the CGI paid him a courtesy call at the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council.
This was contained in a statement signed and issued by the Head of Public Affairs of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Superintendent Michael Amoako-Atta and copied to the Ghanaian Times in Accra on Monday.
DrSalih commended the efforts of the GIS in maintaining peace and security in the region.
He also applauded Mr Takyi for his sterling leadership qualities that had propelled the GIS to where it was.
The CIG for his part stated that the transformation currently ongoing in the service was due to the government’s continuous commitment in retooling the GIS.
MrTakyi noted that this had led the service to expand its mandate into other sectors, districts and communities across the country.
“Never in the history of the GIS has the institution seen such astronomical governmental support in the provision of arms and ammunitions, vehicles, uniform and its accoutrements, residential and office accommodation and most importantly more than doubling its human resource base,” he added.
Mr Takyi used the opportunity to appeal to members of the Upper West Regional Security Council who were present at the meeting to seek greater collaboration amongst themselves in order to win the support and confidence of the people in the region.
The CGI cited the Aflao Sector Command as a good example of this collaboration amongst the various border agencies.
He revealed that the GIS would be allocating office spaces to members of the various border agencies at the new departure and arrival offices that the service recently put up, adding that; “this would have been impossible in the past where turf war and working in silos was the order of the day.”
Mr Takyi was on a duty tour of the Upper West Region to visit immigration installations and interact with officers in the region.
He was accompanied by Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (ACI) Mr Lawrence Agyei Agyapong; the Chief Staff Officer, ACI Thomas Ewuntoma; Head of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPMED), ACI William Andoh and the Upper West Regional Commander for Immigration, ACI Emmanuel Asheley.
Others were the Special Aide to the CGI, Chief Superintendent of Immigration(C/Supt.) ChristopherAttivorand C/Supt Michael Amoako-Atta, Head of Public Affairs.
BY TIMES REPORTER
