The Minister for the Interior, Ambrose Dery, handed over 30 vehicles to the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in Accra.
The vehicles are to enable personnel to carry out their mandate of regulating and monitoring the entry, residence, employment, and exit of foreigners in Ghana effectively and efficiently.
This forms part of the government’s commitment to security services transformation.
The vehicles, which include 23 Toyota Land Cruiser GXRs, three Toyota Land Cruiser Twin Turbos, one Toyota Land Cruiser VXS, one Toyota Tundra, and two Toyota Double Cabin Pick-ups, will be distributed to all 19 Regional Commanders, Kyebi and Tepa Training Schools, and key Department Heads of the Service.
The Minister stated that the Ghana Immigration Service is an essential component of the National Security Architecture and that there is a need to resource the Service for it to fulfil its purpose of protecting the country’s borders for the peace and safety of the people living in the country.
He highlighted that the full benefits of migration and border security can be realised if the government effectively implements the necessary structures and logistical resources.
“Border Security has become a major national security concern within the West African sub-region and Ghana is not an exception. The sophistication and increasing levels of transnational crimes including terrorism calls for urgent attention in the management of our borders,’ he added.
The Minister commended GIS for opening inland checkpoints due to recurring instability and violent terrorist activities in the Sahel regions. He, however, appealed to the public to be patient with Immigration Officers at the various Checkpoints to do their work since it is in the interest of all.
He also acknowledged that the Government is aware of the challenges faced by the Service in the area of logistics, office and residential accommodation, among others. He assured that the Government is committed to finding reasonable and realistic means of addressing the challenges so that Officers will continuously avail themselves to manage and protect the borders of the country.
He tasked the Comptroller-General of GIS to ensure that the vehicles are put to good use and properly maintained at all times for the benefit of the Service and Ghana as a whole.
The Comptroller-General, Mr. Kwame Asuah Takyi, who received the vehicles on behalf of GIS thanked the Government and the Ministry of the Interior for the gesture.
He assured of the continuous commitment of GIS to the safety of the country’s borders and promised to ensure that the vehicles are put to proper use.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
