Statement: Ugandan Immigration seeks strategic partnership with GIS

A six man team from Uganda, led by its Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. Gen Nyakairima Aronda paid a visit to the Ghana Immigration Service [GIS], Academy and Training School at Assin Fosu, as part of their three days official visit to Ghana.

The team also included the Ugandan Director of Immigration and Citizenship Control, Mr Sasagah Wanzira. They were taken round the GIS training facility and witnessed an "Obstacle Crossing" demonstration by some instructors of the school. The delegation later converged at the Academy lecture hall where they were officially welcomed by the Commandant of the Academy, Assistant Director of Immigration [ADI] Isaac Loutey. An elaborate presentation on GIS operations as well as the structure of the Academy and Training school was made by the Head of Training of the Service, ADI Laud Affrifah.

In his address, Hon. Gen Aronda was full of praise for Ghana and the GIS, especially for her strides in building a resilient security set-up. He attributed Ghana's economic growth to its stable political climate, a fact he believes could not have been the case if Ghana only focused on strengthening her Military and Police Institutions. Extending support to other security bodies such as the GIS , Narcotics Control Board etc has been crucial in maintaining the peace.

The challenge for Ghana's attractiveness, he opined, was how it would tackle the creation and protection of jobs for its people vis-a-vis the management of migrant flow into Ghana.

Similarly, he was of the view that the benefits of integration could not be overemphasized but "how do we manage the objective of free movement of persons within the sub-region and at the same time ensure that security of the people and individual States is not undermined". He called for strategic partnerships and cooperation with GIS which he sees [GIS] as quite advanced in the area of immigration practice and development. He therefore hopes to fall on the GIS to train some of the Ugandan Immigration personnel and also seek the assistance of the GIS when Uganda starts its own Academy and Training School.

For his part, COP. Dr. P.A Wiredu [Director of GIS] said that, the four-year strategic plan of the GIS, captures the Services intention of transforming its Academy and Training School into a centre of excellence which would open its doors to sister Immigration Services in Africa. The GIS has trained over two hundred Liberian Immigration officers at its Academy and Training School at Assin Fosu in the Central Region.

END.

SIGNED: ACOI FRANCIS PALMDETI

HEAD OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS