EU Commission donates vehicles, equipment to GIS
The European Union Delegation to Ghana has handed over border patrol equipment to the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) as part of efforts to ensure that security at the nation’s borders remains top-notch.
Speaking at a handing-over ceremony yesterday, the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, said the donation of the equipment is not just meant to improve Ghana’s border security, but also that of the wider Sahel region and Europe.
He assured of the EU’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s leading role in preserving peace and stability in West Africa.
Ambassador Razaaly explained that the delivery of the equipment falls under a €5 million project on Strengthening Border Security, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). He said, “In an interconnected world, strengthening border management is essential to our collective security. The security situation in the Sahel region poses concrete risks to Ghana, the Gulf of Guinea, and even to Europe.”
He noted that the donation is only a small step in a much larger EU-Ghana partnership story in security and defense. Razaaly iterated, “It is the latest illustration of a deepening partnership between the European Union and Ghana in the field of security and defense, at a time when West Africa is facing rising challenges.”
The Minister of Interior-Designate, Henry Quartey, who received the items on behalf of the GIS, assured that the equipment will be put to good use.
He said, “The motorbikes and patrol accoutrements being received today will enhance patrols of selected borders, the document fraud detection devices will also enhance document verification processes, while the communication equipment will augment existing ones and improve upon information dissemination within the Service.”
He gave assurance that the Government will continue to resource the Immigration Service to enable it to deliver on its mandate, while also welcoming assistance in diverse forms to help the Service, as effective and efficient management of migration requires concerted effort.
He said, “As the first line of defense to the country per its legal mandate, the Ghana Immigration Service has an enormous task and they must be constantly and consistently resourced to deliver on this mandate.”
The Comptroller General of the GIS, Kwame Asua-Takyi, was grateful to the EU and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) for facilitating the donation of several equipment to the Service under the Strengthening Border Security in Ghana (SBS) Project with the help of the European Union Trust Fund for Africa.
He expressed gratitude to the EU for remaining steadfast in their quest to ensure that the GIS is adequately resourced to execute its mandate.
Some of the equipment donated to the GIS includes 14 motorbikes, 6 base stations (car terminals) with accessories, 143 Gota handsets, 150 torchlights, 100 camp beds, 100 backpacks, and 100 raincoats with GIS logos embossed, as well as 100 first aid kits.
