The Comptroller-General of Immigration (CGI), Kwame Asuah Takyi has paid a courtesy call on the Upper West Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bin Salim at the Regional Coordinating Council.
Mr Takyi is on a duty tour in the region to visit Immigration installations and also interact with officers in the Region.
The Regional Minister praised the immigration boss for his sterling leadership qualities that have propelled the Immigration Service to where it is now.
Dr Hafiz Bin Salim called on the Comptroller-General to post more officers into the Region to maintain the peace in the region and strengthen security at the unapproved routes along the Ghana Burkina Faso boundary.
He further praised the efforts of the Immigration Service for contributing to the peace and security in the region.
The Comptroller-General on his part averred that the transformation currently ongoing in the Service is due to the government’s continuous commitment to retooling the Immigration Service which has led to the GIS expanding its mandate into the Sectors, Districts and communities across the country.
“Never in the history of the Ghana Immigration Service has the institution seen such astronomical governmental support in the provision of arms and ammunition, vehicles, uniform and its accoutrements, residential and office accommodation and most importantly more than doubling its human resource base,” the CGI said.
Mr Takyi appealed to members of the 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.
He cited the Aflao Sector Command as a good example of this collaboration amongst the various border agencies.
He informed the meeting of the GIS allocating office space to members of the various border agencies at the new departure and arrival offices that the Service recently put up.
This would have been impossible in the past when turf war and working in silos were the order of the day.
“The terrorist will not differentiate officers in blue or green uniforms but will see you all as targets for attack. So working together in the interest of the country is the better option”, he averred.
The Comptroller-General was accompanied on the visit 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) and ACI William Andoh.Others were; the Upper West Regional Commander for Immigration, ACI Emmanuel Asheley, Special Aide to the CGI, Chief Superintendent of Immigration (C/Supt.) Christopher Attivor the Deputy Upper West Regional Commander and C/Supt Michael Amoako-Atta, Head of Public Affairs.