Ghana is committed to ECOWAS Protocol - Dr Apraku

Accra, Sept. 9, GNA - Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister of Regional Cooperation and NEPAD on Thursday said Ghana was committed to the ECOWAS protocols and would continue to work hard to sustain them in the interest of the people.

He said ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons, goods and service was very essential in the integration process.

Dr. Apraku said this at a 3-day workshop on "ECOWAS Protocols" organised for the Police, CEPS, Immigration and other interested bodies who manned the borders of the country at Elubo Border in the Western Region.

He urged the border operatives to be vigilant and assist the individuals who ply the borders to undertake legitimate businesses. He said ECOWAS countries and UEMOA Commission were working hard to harmonise their policies on trade liberalisation scheme and appealed to the border operatives to assist in that endeavour.

Dr Apraku said the Heads of State have adopted most of those protocols to make the lives of the people beneficial and said the definition of the concept of products originated from ECOWAS. He assured security personnel that Government was working hard to improve their condition of service and urged them to be optimistic. Mr Martin Ackah, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Jomoro appealed to the border operatives to assist government to raise enough revenue to provide the social amenities and facilities through their manning of the borders very well.

Mr Bonaventure Adjarvon, Economic Officer of the Ministry urged the participants to implement what the workshop had taught them so they operate within the ECOWAS protocols, especially the one on the free movement of persons, goods and services to the benefit of the people.