The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration as part of ongoing efforts to intensify advocacy on fighting terrorism and border security issues on May 3, 2023, held a stakeholders’ workshop in Paga, Capital of the Kassena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.
It forms part of a nationwide sensitization workshop on ECOWAS protocols, border security, and terrorism and had various groups and individuals including chiefs and other community leaders, religious groups, and security agencies among others attending.
A similar exercise was held on Thursday in Zebila for the Bawku Zone in a bit to engage stakeholders from the border communities to promote information sharing and the need for collaboration if Ghana will succeed in dealing with border security issues and warding off possible threats.
The event which is being organized in partnership with the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, saw participants being taken through border security and travel protocols, the ECOWAS brown card, and early warning signs.
Speaking to Newsmen, Ambassador Mrs. Perpetua Dufu, Coordinating Director Multilateral and International Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration explained that it is her hope that residents of the region especially those in border communities will be vigilant and report suspected movement to the various security agencies.
She said the engagement is part of efforts to improve awareness of the workings of ECOWAS since it has been observed that many nationals of ECOWAS nations have very little knowledge of how the sub-regional works.
“You know the sensitization program is an ongoing program of the ECOWAS national units. All ECOWAS national units are to sensitize the people of the member states. So, this is something we have been doing and have gone through almost all the regions. If you ask, we want the focus to be on security and also to sensitize the communities through the dangers that exist and what can exist. If
Again, we hope that all the stakeholders will understand the implications of what they do, be it immigration, customs the ECOWAS Brown Card, and all the state institutions that are involved in a part of the regional integration agenda, we wanted them to get a fuller understanding.
Also, want to appeal to the stakeholders, the chiefs, and residents of border communities to alert the security agencies if they detect suspicious movement.” The Ambassador stated.
Speaking in an interview with Dreamz News on the sidelines of the engagement, Chief Director, Upper East Regional Coordinating Director, Alhaji Abubakar Inusah, urged residents to remain vigilant as he reveals that two persons arrested in the Upper East Region in 2022 are being held by National Investigation Bearue, NIB.
He also appealed to operators of hotels and their staff to observe and report suspicious characters to security agencies.
