Minister charges personnel at Aflao Border to operate as one unit

Aflao (V/R), Nov 5, GNA - Dr Kwesi Akyem Apea-Kubi, Deputy Minister for the Interior, has called on the security agencies operating at the Aflao border to function as one unit to ensure the safety of the nation and the travelling public. Dr Apea-Kubi served notice that government would not condone improper conduct on parts of personnel, which tended to tarnish the image of the security agencies. He said government considered the Aflao Border very important because of its uniqueness adding, it would therefore, do everything possible to ensure that law and order was maintained at that entry point to the country.

Dr Apea-Kubi made the call at a durbar for the security agencies at the Aflao Border, after he was extensively briefed by the Heads of the security agencies at a joint Volta Regional and Ketu South District Security Committee Meeting held at Tokor on Wednesday on the shooting incident involving a personnel of the security age ncies and a taxi driver on October 22, 2010 at the Aflao Border.

Dr Apea-Kubi, who was accompanied by a delegation comprising the Deputy Inspector General of Police, M.A Alhassan and the Director of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Madam Elizabeth Adjei attended the meeting together with the Volta Regional Minister Mr Joseph Amenowode and his Deputy, Colonel retired Cyril Necku, Mr Bernard Amable, District Chief Executive for Ketu South, DCOP David Nennyi Ampah-Bennin, Volta Regional Police Commander, including Heads of the Aflao Border security agencies comprising the GIS, the Police Service, Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), and The Ghana Army. The Deputy Interior Minister's visit to the district was to ascertain the security situation in the area following the October 22, 2010 unfortunate shooting incident that temporary brought tension in the area. It happened when the driver of the taxi in the early hours of the day allegedly broke immigration rules by dropping a traveller in the Togolese territory, through "Beat 13," on the Ghana-Togo border.

He used the opportunity to inspect the offices of the GIS and also visited "beat 9" where a new pedestrian way was constructed to ease traffic congestion at the main border. Dr Apea-Kubi cautioned personnel against putting their parochial interest above the national interest, calling on them to desist from petty corruption, which was highly perceptible to redeem the image of the agencies.

He called on personnel to establish a good rapport with members of the community for peaceful coexistence, saying the root causes of the "bad-blood" between members of the security agencies and the local people was due to the seeming unhealthy relationship between them. Madam Adjei told the personnel that relationship among the top brass of the security agencies was cordial and urged the personnel to emulate such a standard and remain united in the discharge of their duties.

She charged Commanders to ensure that officers on duty were properly identified to enable the public accord them the necessary cooperation for smooth operations at the border. She assured that the administration would continue to resource the security agencies to improve their operations, announcing that the construction of a new pedestrian way known as "beat 9" was completed and would soon be opened to ease congestion at the main border. Mr Amenowode urged the personnel to be civil in their operations because they were the first "diplomats of the country" adding their actions gave a first impression to visitors to the country. He called on the personnel to report" bad-nuts" amongst them for appropriate sanctions saying the conduct of some of the personnel was denting the image of the security agencies. He assured personnel that their accommodation issues would soon become a thing of the past, citing the STX housing project. Deputy IGP, Mr Alhassan called on the officers to set good examples and resolve to work together for the common interest of the nation. Earlier, the delegation paid a courtesy call on Torgbui Amenya Fiiti V, Paramount Chief of Aflao to commend him on his role in calming the situation after the shooting incident. Torgbui Fiiti V, called on the government to allocate to Aflao area, a quota of the percentage of personnel to be enlisted into the security agencies annually.

He called on personnel at the border to desist from the illegal collection of GHc1 from the people of Aflao and allow them to cross the border to visit their relatives in neighbouring Togo. He said the shooting incident happened because the youth of Aflao could not bear the wrath of the personnel of the security agencies anymore. Torgbui Fiiti V, called on the government to build a barracks for especially officers of the GIS to ensure that they stayed at one to ensure their safety. Mr Koffie Jarvis, Secretary of Aflao Youth Association pledged on behalf of the youth of the area to remain law abiding to ensure the development of the area. 5 Nov. 10