Samuel Amadu Basintale (R) presenting a certificate of discharge to Laud Kwasi Affrifah
Dozens of security personnel, board members and senior officers on Monday witnessed a colourful farewell parade and pull-out ceremony in honour of Deputy Comptroller-General of Immigration, in charge of Command Post and Operations, Laud Kwasi Ofori Affrifah, as he bowed out after 33 years of dedicated service to the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).
Also present at the ceremony held at the forecourt of the GIS headquarters in Accra include the Deputy Minister for the Interior, Ebenezer Okletey Telarbi, and representatives from the National Communications Authority among others.
As part of the event, the GIS, sister security institutions such as Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service, the Narcotics Control Commission and the Small Arms Commission, also honoured Mr. Affrifah with citations and gifts for his exemplary service and commitment while serving.
Mr. Affrifah, who is also a lawyer and migration management expert, served as a security and intelligence strategist and trainer, with many of the Service’s operational standards, institutional systems, structures, policies and doctrines attributed to him.
Other key positions held by Mr. Affrifah include Head of Operations, Head of Training, Regional Commander for the Upper West Region, and Head of the Enforcement and Intelligence Bureau among others.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Affrifah urged officers to uphold the integrity and reputation of the Service, as well as remain professional and disciplined in the discharge of their duties.
“The uniform you wear is not just material; it is a trust placed in you by a nation, to be worn with honour. As I retire today, I do not say goodbye to the Service, I say thank you,” he said.
Mr. Affrifah, who described the day as highly significant, said after 33 years of service, having joined the GIS on February 15, 1983, the Service did not only shape his career but also character, convictions and understanding of leadership and sacrifice.
He added that GIS trained, disciplined, challenged and ultimately defined him, while expressing profound gratitude to the leaders under whom he served, including immediate past Comptroller-General, Kwame Asuah Takyi and the current Comptroller-General, Mr. Samuel Amadu Basintale, for their mentorship and support.
Mr. Affrifah also described his career as fulfilling, given his contribution to strengthening border management, building operational capacity, engaging international partners, modernising procedures and enhancing the Service’s role within Ghana’s national security architecture.
“If I am asked what I consider my greatest achievement, it would not be an office I held, an operation conducted or a project implemented. My greatest pride is leaving behind well-trained officers, to young officers: guard with integrity, respect the uniform, and remember authority is given, but respect is earned.
“The long nights planning and designing operations, the difficult decisions, the pressure of command and the celebrations after success. These are memories I carry with me into retirement, proud and grateful,” he stated.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah