The Vice President and other dignitaries in a group photograph with the newly commissioned officers
The recent announcement by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia about an ongoing process to procure specialised equipment for the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has raised the morale of personnel.
This comes against the backdrop of a recent spike in the attack of personnel in the northern frontiers of the country.
The GIS is undergoing major transformation under the current Comptroller-General.
The setting up of three new training facilities for the Service as announced by the Vice President during last Friday graduation of Officer Cadet Intake 17 at the Immigration Academy and Training School (IATS) in Assin Fosu has especially been welcomed by personnel.
The facilities – Mid-Country School at Tepa; Tactical Training School, Kyebi; and a Centre of Excellence at Odorkor, Accra, all to be commissioned soon – as well as the ongoing procurement of specialised vehicles, equipment, and arms are part of interventions by government to train and equip the first line of defence of the country’s borders to safeguard the citizens, residents and visitors to Ghana.
These are part of comprehensive retooling and enhancement measures for the GIS to enable it fulfil its mandate in the face of changing dynamics in border control and crime prevention.
This is the first Officer-level passing out ceremony for the GIS since the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. In all, 357 Cadets received the President’s assent to become Officers of the Ghana Immigration Service after seven months of rigorous training in Immigration Law, Practices and Procedures; Migration Management; Operational Planning; Criminal Procedures; Intelligence Gathering and Investigations; Travel Document Management, Map Reading & Navigation; French language, among others.
National Defence
“The Ghana Immigration Service is responsible for managing the country’s borders and thus serves as the first line of defence, ensuring that whatever comes in and goes out of our country is monitored, including the issuance of visas to non-Ghanaians.
“The Service also plays a key role in national security, trade & investment facilitation, tourism and for that matter national development. You would therefore agree with me that the Service occupies a very strategic position toward achieving peace and security as well as economic prosperity,” the Vice President noted.
“This is a critical part of national defence, and Government on it part will not renege on its responsibilities of providing the logistics needed for the GIS to deliver on its mandate. I am pleased to announce that Government has delivered its promise of procuring arms and ammunition for the Service to boost its operations and enhance security at the borders. Again, the GIS would be equipped with specialised surveillance equipment, regional offices, residential accommodation, and other critical operational logistics,” he disclosed.
Changing Dynamics
Charging the leadership of the GIS to continually live up to the trust reposed in them by Ghanaians, Dr. Bawumia noted: “The management of migration and its implications on security across the world keeps assuming intricate dimensions with each passing day.”