By Rosemary Wayo
Yendi (N/R), Oct 05, GNA -The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has commissioned its refurbished Yendi Sector Command Headquarters in the Northern Region to meet the increasing number of personnel under the command.
A cenotaph has also been unveiled at the forecourt of the command as part of the commissioning serving as a symbol of hard work, dedication and sacrifice of officers of the GIS.
The Yendi Sector comprises the Bimbila, Tatale and Gushegu Sectors.
Dr Prosper Asimah, Deputy Commissioner of Immigration (DCOI), Northern Regional Commander of GIS, speaking during the ceremony at Yendi, said the GIS, in carrying out its mandate to ensure effective contribution to national security, drew a five-year Strategic Plan.
Part of the plan was to improve equipment supply and infrastructural development.
He said an objective of the GIS was to establish its presence across the country by opening new offices and giving a facelift to already existing structures to enhance the service’s intelligence and enforcement activities.
He said: “As part of this agenda, Management of the GIS has targeted all regions including the Northern Regional Command. It is in line with this that the Gushegu Municipal Office, which also falls under the Yendi Sector, was commissioned in June, last year.”
He added that “The Yendi Sector Command exists as one of the Service’s Strategic operational bases to facilitate its monitoring activities. Since its establishment about two decades ago, the office has not seen any major renovations. It is therefore significant that this edifice has undergone such a tremendous transformation.”
Chief Superintendent of Immigration (CSI), Mr William Morwu Korley, Yendi Sector Commander of GIS expressed gratitude to the Comptroller-General of GIS, Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi for the swift response in the construction of the edifice.
He said the increasing rate of deployment of personnel to the sector had necessitated the need for a corresponding infrastructural development to absorb the number of officers who were yet to be posted to the command.
He said the sector lacked logistics support such as weapons for guard duties and effective patrols, bulletproof jackets for body protection, fuel allocation, and motorbikes among others in the execution of its mandate.
Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister said the government remained resolute and focused on equipping security services with needed human resources, infrastructural development and logistical support such as weapons, vehicles and motorbikes of which the GIS was not an exception.
He noted that the government had adopted sound economic policies to address human security challenges and introduced political reforms to ensure participatory and all-inclusive political systems.
He said the face-lift provided for the GIS, Yendi Sector Command Headquarters, attested to some of the proactive measures and investments by the government to empower the security services.
He said: “The increase in the recruitment of personnel to the GIS is also worthy of mention as it provides more human resources to patrol our vast land borders thus strengthening the country’s borders.”
GNA