Customs officer warns his men against sex baits

Agotime-Kpetoe, Aug 26, GNA - A customs officer has cautioned Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) personnel, especially those manning the borders, that yielding to sex baits from clients would not only affect the economic fortunes of the nation but also expose them to HIV/AIDS.

Mr Ernest Frimpong-Nuamah, Assistant Commissioner of Customs in Command of the CEPS Academy at Agortime- Kpotoe, said this at re-launch of the CEPS HIV/AIDS Education Project of the Ho Collection and the Training School at Agortime-Kpetoe on Thursday.

He said sentinel survey figures of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), which indicated the HIV/AIDS prevalent rates were high in border areas, should sound a note of warning to CEPS personnel to be circumspect with regard to their sex lives.

About 120 officers attended the launch that would involve series of educational programmes at all CEPS posts and outfits in the Academy and Ho Collection.

Mr Fredua Agyeman-Boakye, Assistant commissioner of Customs in charge of the Ho Collection, said the nature of work of CEPS personnel made them vulnerable and urged them to observe all recommended cautionary guidelines in warding off the disease.

Mr Gregory Amenuvegbe, Head of the Disease Control Unit at the Volta Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), said 92 per cent of HIV/AIDS patients in Ghana are affected by the HIV-1 variant that is more virulent than the lesser known and milder HIV-2.