Coronavirus: GIS denies 80 travelers entry into Ghana

A total of 50 foreign nationals from Togo, Benin and Nigeria, who tried to enter the country through a known unapproved border at Mambobga in the Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri District have been denied entry by officials of the Ghana Immigration Service.

Other 13 Togolese, who also tried to enter the country through the Bunkpurugu Border Post were also denied entry while 17 Ghanaians, resident in Togo, who were returning to the country through the same border post, were also turned away.

This was in line with the President's directives to close the country's borders.

It came to light when Mr Solomon Namlit Boar, North East Regional Minister, led members of the Regional Security Council to tour those two borders on Thursday to assess their operations with regard to the President's directives to close the country's borders.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo directed the closure of the country's borders from midnight of March 22, in the wake of the emergence of COVID-19 in the country as part of measures to suppress the peak of the disease.

Chief Superintendent Mr William Peter Andoh, Acting North East Regional Commander of the GIS, who briefed the Regional Minister, said personnel of the GIS were poised to enforce the President's directives to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

He explained that the 17 Ghanaians could not be allowed into the country because there were no test kits to test their temperatures, therefore, couldn’t guarantee their health status, thus, their denial.

Chief Superintendent Mr Peter Andoh spoke about the staff strength of the GIS in the region, which he indicated was inadequate, saying, the GIS was collaborating with other security services to ensure effective patrol of the country's borders in the region.

The Bunkpurugu and Wunjuga Border Posts are the approved borders in the region. However, there are also eight known unapproved entry points and a number of unknown entry points in the region.

Inadequate personnel and resources such as motorbikes affects the operations of personnel of GIS along the border posts in the region.

Mr Boar urged personnel of GIS to be vigilant and strict in enforcing the border closure directive of the President by not allowing anybody to enter or exit the country to help contain the spread of the disease.

He gave assurance to address the challenges confronting personnel of the GIS to strengthen their operations along the borders to safeguard the country.

He further urged the citizenry and those of other countries to stay in their countries at this period to help contain the disease.