Togolese Minister wants meeting to stem harassment at borders

The Togolese Minister of Security and Civil Protection, Alhaji Mohamed Titikpina Atsah, has called for an immediate meeting of security authorities of Ghana and Togo to discuss ways of reducing harassments by border officials of both countries.

Mr Atsah said he had ordered Togolese security frontier personnel to stop the practice immediately, stating that from January 2011, any officer caught harassing or seeking to extort money from an individual would be disciplined.

He made this call when addressing a joint inauguration of a pedestrian border post at Beat 09 between Kodzoviakope in Lome and Aflao on Wednesday.

The new post, about a kilometre east of the main frontier, was to create a separate entry point for mainly border residents of the two countries who could shuttle between both countries using identity cards.

The measure was expected to ease congestion at the main crossing point.

Mr Atsah said the creation of the new border post re-affirmed the trust between the two countries and would facilitate trade and other economic activities between the two countries.

Mr Kosivi Degbor, Ghanaian Deputy National Security Coordinator, said entry regulations remained the same and needed to be applied and obeyed at all crossing points.

Miss Elizabeth Adjei, Director of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), suggested a special ID card system for border residents just as is the case between Thailand and Malaysia.

Colonel Cyril Necku (rtd), the Deputy Volta Regional Minister, advised the locals to be disciplined in the use of the post.

Mr Evans Klutse, Aflao Sector Commander of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, appealed to travellers not to see the security personnel as their enemies adding that the frontiers had to be guarded against infiltration by criminals.

Officials made symbolic crossing of the post and inspected its facilities.

Source: GNA