<<Print>>

The Board Chairman of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Mr Cletus Avoka, has called on the government to increase the budgetary allocation of the service to help solve the serious
logistical constraints it faces, considering the critical role the service plays in the socio-economic development and security of the nation.

He stated that although the GIS is the last of the security agencies to be set up (1989), its role as the first line of contact is very crucial to the safety of the nation.

Mr Avoka made the call when the Board of the GIS paid a four-day working visit to the Western Region.  

The visit, which is the fourth in a series, was aimed at having interactions with personnel of the service, familiarise itself with activities on the ground, and better understand and appreciate the challenges of the officers.

The team first visited the Takoradi Regional Office, Sekondi Fishing Harbour, Main Harbour and the Regional Minister. They also visited Asankragwa, Dadieso, Jomoro, Enchi, Half Assini, Jaway Wharf, New Town and Elubo Border.

At a staff durbar held at Elubo, the Board Chairman was distraught at the extent of the deprivation of the service as compared to the other sister security agencies, describing the GIS as the ‘Poor Cousins’ of the other agencies.

He further lamented that the GIS cannot boast of a single office building as their own. From the National Headquarters to the regional offices, through to the municipals and the districts, the service is either perching or sharing offices with other institutions.

He called on business entities to, as part of their social corporate responsibility, come to the aid of the service and support in any way they can in solving the office accommodation problems and the provision of other logistics.

Mr Avoka commended the personnel of the service for their attitude and optimism towards work considering the challenges they face in their line of work. He pledged the Board’s support in addressing their challenges, and charged the personnel to exhibit discipline, hard work, professionalism, honesty and patriotism.

On his part, the Director of GIS, Mr Felix Yaw Sarpong, admonished personnel to collaborate with other sister security agencies at the border in intelligence gathering and information sharing, and continue to work hand-in-hand for the advancement of the nation.  

He urged them not to compromise on their professionalism and to remember the nation comes first.

He urged personnel to work and operate with the mandate and the laid down regulations that govern the service, especially the new Immigration Service Act 2016, (Act 908).

In his presentation on the region, the Western Regional Commander, Comptroller of Immigration (COI) Smart Osei Bonsu, said the region is made up of the Sekondi Regional Office, three Sector Commands (Elubo, Takoradi and Dadieso) and districts such as Tarkwa, Axim, Sefwi-Wiawso, Asankrangwa, Half-Assini, Yaakese, Oseikojokrom and Bibiani, with a total staff strength of 432.

He said the region, in the first quarter of 2016, generated revenue ofGH¢157,339 and$6,850for the state.

He outlined some of the major challenges of the region as inadequate logistics such as the lack of cross-country vehicles, motorbikes and communication gadgets to effectively monitor the activities of foreign nationals, the increase in illegal mining activities with the involvement of some expatriates, which is destroying river bodies and farmlands, and the poor and deplorable conditions under which officers work, among others.

The Board had already visited three regions; namely, Volta, Upper East and Northern regions.