Interior Minister, Henry Quartey has issued a stern warning to Immigration officials at the Kotoka International Airport against escorting or receiving friends at the airport.
He threatened immediate dismissal for any GIS officer caught disregarding this directive.
Mr. Quartey announced plans to deploy informants to KIA to monitor compliance with the directive.
The Minister condemned such behaviour as unprofessional during his visit to Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) headquarters in Accra on Thursday, April 4, urging officers to abstain from such actions.
“Men and women wear uniforms only to go and see off their friends at the Airport. They pull their bags right from the car, and walk through checking, walk them through immigration and even security points all the way.”
“When you disembark you see them lined up waiting for their friends, they take their bags. I have told the CG to send a message to them that it has to stop with immediate effect, and I mean immediate effect.”
“We will send plain-clothes to go there, if an immigration officer is found around the arrival hall, or departure hall, engaging passengers please consider that you will be at home for a long time and that will be coming from me, not the CG. So, tell them,” he said.
Additionally, Mr. Quartey urged GIS officers to maintain professionalism, especially in anticipation of the upcoming 2024 general elections.
He underscored the significance of the GIS’s role in ensuring impartiality and upholding the integrity of free and fair elections.
“We are seriously relying on you and please don’t misquote me; we are relying on you to perform your professional duty as GIS before, during and after the elections.
“We must ensure free, fair and transparent elections. That is why I am saying if you want to do politics let us know so we can make an application for you to join a political party. So please all of you mind your uniform and work for Ghana our motherland,” he added.