Interior Minister Henry Quartey has issued a stern warning to immigration officials stationed at Kotoka International Airport, cautioning against any form of assistance provided to visitors. He emphasized that any staff found engaging in such conduct would face immediate suspension from duty.
The warning came during the minister’s recent visit to the headquarters of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in Accra. Henry Quartey underscored the seriousness of such misconduct, labeling it as unprofessional, and urged officers to refrain from such actions. He also emphasized the importance of professionalism, particularly in the context of the upcoming 2024 general elections, urging GIS officers to uphold integrity and impartiality to ensure free and fair elections.
“Men and women wear uniforms only to go and see off their friends at the Airport. They pull their bags right from the car and walk through checking, walk them through immigration and even security points all the way.
“When you disembark, you see them lined up waiting for their friends, they take their bags. I have told the CG to send a message to them that it has to stop with immediate effect, and I mean immediate effect.”
“We will send plain clothes to go there, if an immigration officer is found around the arrival hall, or departure hall, engaging passengers, please consider that you will be at home for a long time, and that will be coming from me, not the CG. So, tell them,” he stated.
Additionally, Quartey stressed the significance of maintaining strict border control to prevent the illegal entry of undocumented individuals.
“We are seriously relying on you, and please don’t misquote me; we are relying on you to perform your professional duty as GIS before, during, and after the elections.
“We must ensure free, fair, and transparent elections. That is why I am saying if you want to do politics let us know so we can make an application for you to join a political party. So please all of you mind your uniform and work for Ghana our motherland,” the Interior Minister stated.
