Accra Seeks Exchange Programme With Abuja

Ghana has indicated her intention to undertake exchange programmes with Nigeria's immigration and prisons services to foster bilateral cooperation and enhance regional security.

Ghana's Deputy Interior Minister, Mr. Yaw Barima, made the disclosure in Abuja yesterday, when he visited the Minister of Internal Affairs, Dr.

Mohammed Shata, in his office.

"We are interested in sending our immigration and prisons officers to Nigeria for training and also to cooperate with the Nigerian immigration and prisons services in the exchange of information on immigrants and cross-border criminals," Barima said.

He urged the Nigerian immigration and prisons authorities to facilitate the programmes with their counterparts in Ghana, adding "we are ready to train some of our senior officers here and exchange ideas on those areas."

Responding, Shata expressed the commitment of Nigeria to promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation among countries in the ECOWAS fold.

He said that the Nigerian government would render assistance to ECOWAS member-countries to enable them achieve mutual understanding and ensure regional peace and security.

Shata also called on security officers of West African countries to always meet and deliberate on common security problems, as well as establish joint border patrol teams to curb activities of smugglers and other cross-border criminals.