Irchad Razaaly handing over the equipments to Henry Quartey and Kwame Asuah Takyi
The European Union (EU) has donated security equipment to the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to strengthen the agency’s capacity and enhance border security in the country.
The items include 14 motorbikes, 150 pieces of torchlights, 100 pieces of camp beds, 100 pieces of backpacks, 100 pieces of raincoat and 100 pieces of first aid kit.
The rest are three (3) pieces of swivel chairs, 143 pieces of Gota handset, eight (8) pieces of Gota smart touch, one (1) piece of 2 in 1 Workstation and six (6) pieces of Base with accessories.
Minister of the Interior, Henry Quartey, who handed the items to officials of GIS at a short ceremony at the forecourt of the Headquarters of GIS yesterday in Accra, thanked EU for the gesture and said the equipment will help enhance patrols of some selected borders, document verification processes and improve upon information dissemination within the service.
He said the items would also help strengthen border security and reduce irregular migration at all levels, including inter-agency coordination between the Ghanaian border management stakeholders while enhancing the capacity of officers to investigate, prosecute, and secure convictions on document fraud and other immigration offences.
He assured them of government’s resolve to continue to resource the service to enable it deliver on its mandate, stressing that it will however welcome assistance in diverse forms to help the service, as effective and efficient management of migration requires concerted efforts.
The minister also used the opportunity to appeal to other organisations to follow suit in supporting the Ghana Immigration Service’s efforts in securing the country’s borders and the general security of the country.
Comptroller General of the GIS, Kwame Asuah Takyi, for his part, said GIS has over the years collaborated with the European Union and selected countries within the European Union to implement very strategic projects to reinforce its strategic position and mandate to strengthen border patrols, train frontline officers at national borders and other command posts, geared towards effective management of migration in Ghana.
He also commended the EU for remaining steadfast in its quest to ensure that the Ghana Immigration Service was resourced to execute its mandate, while assuring ICMPD of its readiness to effectively use the equipment for its intended purpose.
EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, said the equipment would contribute to border security at a time when the security situation in the Sahel poses a risk to Ghana, Gulf of Guinea and Europe.
He expressed EU’s commitment to cooperate with all the relevant security agencies for sustained partnership to secure the country’s borders.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah