Complement govt’s efforts in strengthening border security management – CSOs entreated

The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has entreated Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to complement the government’s efforts at strengthening and improving border security management to achieve the ultimate results.

It raised concern over the emergence of jihadists and other terrorists’ movements and violent extremists in the country’s neighbouring countries whose activities had displaced many people across the sub-region.

“Efforts must be made to tighten security at Ghana’s territorial boundaries to help check the worrisome situation because sections of the public are still ignorant about issues of terrorists’ insurgence and violent extremism in neighbouring countries,” the Initiative cautioned.

Mrs Linda Ofori-Kwafo, the Executive Director of GII, who entreated the CSOs at a workshop in Accra on: ‘Strengthening Border Security in Ghana’, indicated that the situation called for beefing up of security, public awareness creation, sensitisation and education on terrorists’ activities, violent extremism and consequent threats.

The two-day workshop was on the theme: ‘The Role of CSOs in Ghana’s Border Security Management’, aimed at developing linkages between strengthening the Ghana Border Security Project and the National Security Ministry.

The GII, in collaboration with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), organised the forum for 90 stakeholders drawn from selected CSOs, the media, development partners and migration policy makers and implementers.

Mrs Ofori-Kwafo implored the Ministry of National Security to make the engagement an annual national forum to increase collaborations towards effective and efficient border security management and other security related issues, adding that “our borders are porous which makes it vulnerable for cross border crime, terrorist attacks, violent extremism, drug trafficking, illegal trade and smuggling of contraband goods.

“We need to guard our own borders and territorial boundaries to keep the country safe from terrorists’ attacks and violent extremism,” Mrs Ofori-Kwafo decried.

Irchad Razaaly, the European Union Ambassador to Ghana, suggested effective and efficient collaboration among the citizenry, CSOs, and the government security agencies operating along the border communities to maintain the peace, unity and harmony.

The Strengthening Border Security in Ghana (SBS Ghana) project is funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF) for Africa and implemented by ICMPD in cooperation with the Ghana Immigration Service.