Government equips Immigration Service
Government is commitment to the provision of the needed logistics to all security agencies to enable them execute their statutory mandate efficiently, Mr Kobby Acheampong, Deputy Minister for the Interior, on Monday assured.
He said government fully recognized that mobility was critical especially as officers needed to conduct regular inspection exercises at industrial establishments, factories, banks, educational institutions etc.
Mr Acheampong made this observation at the commissioning of new vehicles for the Ghana Immigration Service, to improve the operational efficiency of the Service.
He said the provision of the vehicles was in response to a call by the Director of the Service for government’s assistance to tackle its huge logistic challenges that had affected operation efficiency at all levels.
The vehicles include 20 Nissan Pick-ups, four Mitsubishi station wagons, six Nissan Salon cars, seven Motorbikes and one unit of Toyota Land cruiser.
“The vehicles could not have come at a better time than this, since the nation is heading towards the Presidential and Parliamentary elections on December 7, and the GIS would be part of the security agencies that would provide security at the poll”, he added.
He said it was the avowed commitment of government to continue to enhance the logistic needs of officers and Men of the GIS, by doing all it could despite the perennial central government budgetary constraints, in order to motivate them to give out their best.
Mr Acheampong noted that the GIS in collaboration with other security agencies had been encountering serious operational challenges in recent times in combating illegal mining activities of foreigners, warning that those engaged in such acts would be dealt with according by the laws of the country.
He also cautioned that immigration officers, against whom evidence of collusion or criminal complicity in facilitating the illegal entry of foreigners into the country would be found, would be severely dealt with as prescribed by law.
Mr Acheampong urged the GIS to approach their election duties with all the professionalism, and avoid exhibition of partisan inclinations, adding that professional neutrality was what was expected of them.
He appealed to transport officers and service drivers, who would be handling the vehicles to take good care of them and keep them in regular maintenance to ensure that they perform to their maximum economic life span.
COP Dr Peter Wiredu, Acting Director of GIS, expressed appreciation to the Ministry and Government for the quick response to their clarion call for such urgent assistance, adding that lack of offices and residential accommodation, huge rent bills and accoutrements were also some other challenges facing the service.
He said the additional fleet of vehicles would go a long way to improve the operational efficiency of the Service throughout the country.
He assured the Minister that the vehicles would be deployed to the most critical areas of their operations, adding that management would also ensure that the vehicles were unfailingly subjected to regular maintenance and good care.
COP Dr Wireku stated that the GIS was feverishly making preparations with sister security agencies to support the Police as the lead agency to provide law and order in achieving election security, before, during and after the upcoming pools.
He said the GIS would deploy about 3000 officers and men for election duties, urging all of them to hold themselves in readiness for the all important national assignment.
“You would be called upon to perform election duties in remote parts of the country. I want to urge you to take it in good faith wherever you would be posted to and act professionally at all times on whatever task you would be assigned.
Source: GNA