Conference for Commanders of Border Patrol Unit opens

Mr. Kwesi Ahwoi, Minister of the Interior, has given the assurance that government was in the process of acquiring all-purpose patrol vehicles and robust motorbikes for the Border Patrol Unit (BPU) of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

The vehicles and motorbikes are to help the effective patrolling of the country’s territorial borders, Mr Ahwoi stated; stressing that substantial budgetary allocation would be made to provide the urgent logistical requirements to augment the activities of the Unit.

He noted that the dynamics of border and territorial boundary security in the ECOWAS Sub-Region have become more challenging now than ever, which calls for the address of border security threats in more professional and tactical manner.

Mr. Ahwoi, speaking at a two-day conference for Commanders of BPU of the GIS in Accra, gave the assurance that the border infrastructure programme which sought to address the problem of inadequate residential and office accommodation, would be pursued with all vigour and diligence to provide more accommodation for the Unit.

“Putting up armouries at strategic locations was part of the programme to ensure that weapons would be securely kept. Adequate support would be given to the Service to double its efforts in getting the necessary legal framework for BPU personnel to bear firearms,” he added.

Mr. Ahwoi said despite that core mandate, it was regrettable that the enthusiastic commitment with which the Unit was established appeared to have waned considerably, due particularly to lack of essential resources and tools with which officers and men could perform their assigned duties.

He said as the government was doing all it could within its budgetary constraints, it was prudent for BPU personnel to keep their morale high and patrol assiduously towards achieving the objectives on the overall national security interests.

The Minister called for professional commitment and dedication to work devoid of parochial personal interests, and cautioned that corrupt officers and men would not be spared; as their activities could jeopardize the peace and security the nation was currently enjoying.

“Taking the Border Patrol Unit to the next level demands an all-hands-on-deck approach and urged them to be extra vigilant at the frontier. Especially in enforcing the relevant provisions of the ECOWAS Treaty protocols on the free movement of persons and goods in the sub-regions,” he said.

The Director of GIS, COP Dr. Peter A. Wiredu, said talking about revamping at this time suggested that the GIS was unhappy about the current state of affairs, and called for re-engineering and re-strategizing for better operational results.

He said in 2006, the government realized that due to the porous nature of the borders, simply deploying officers and men to man border posts and approved routes was not enough security measures to protect and secure the land frontiers of the nation in an effective manner, hence the establishment of the BPU.

He said the Unit started with 150 officers and men, but the number currently increased to 2,000 to cover all the country’s land frontiers although there was more room for further recruitment and deployment to increase the staff strength to a projected appreciable number of 4,000 officers and men.

COP Dr. Wiredu said despite their successes, the Unit is faced with myriad of challenges which militate seriously against the efforts of their duties.

“Notably among these challenges is the lack of weapon and ammunition. It is an indisputable fact that before anyone can provide security; he or she must first be secured. It is patently unacceptable and dangerous for security personnel to patrol in the bush, particularly during the night, without weapons,” he added.

He, therefore, urged government to make allocation for the necessary logistics to enable them fulfil their core mandate.

Mr. Wallace Akondor, Commissioner of Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority, proposed joint border patrols among government security agencies manning the country’s border posts, to maximize the efficiency of weapons.

He said in the face of the economic difficulty the country finds itself, it is prudent to begin harmonizing and integrating all efforts to achieve the necessary benefits.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, said the current BPU had gone through several transformation and reactivation in the past, all aimed at building effective security along the borders, and stressed the need to equip the Unit adequately to achieve the goals.

Dr. Adelaide Kastner, GIS Board Chair, said the porous nature of the borders have made the mandate of the Unit more challenging, and expressed the hope that after the Conference, the Commanders would re-strategize to confront their mandate with a transformed zeal.

The Conference, being organized by the Management of the GIS for all Commanders and their Second-in Command across the country, has “Strategizing to Revamp the BPU: The Challenges and Prospects,” as its theme.

The BPU was established in 2006 with a mandate of ensuring that Ghana’s frontiers and entry points are closely monitored, controlled and protected from desirable migrant infiltrations to the detriment of sovereign national security.

They are also to ensure that all travelers who cross the country’s border on a daily basis are properly profiled to identify and separate genuine travellers from others who may have criminal motives that can undermine Ghana’s sovereign interests.