The former Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia North and Campaign Team Member of the NPP Vice Presidential Candidate, Hon Collins Owusu Amankwah has asked the top hierarchy of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to investigate cases of harassment against women traders at the Ghanaian borders.

Speaking on Kumasi based Otec fm, Hon Amankwah said it is becoming increasingly worrying to hear sad stories from some of the traders. 

He noted that some women who narrated their ordeal complained of extortion and at times the demand for sex by these criminals parading as immigration officers.

“Listening to the women who narrated their ordeals to me and having checked from other sources due to my security background I am tempted to believe that these evil but yet to be identified immigration officers are doing this to tarnish the image of the service and also the current government”, Hon Amankwah noted. 

Law and Order:

The former MP said that it was legitimate on the part of the immigration officers to request documentation from traders when they find such as necessary to do.

He added that, the request of such are legal, more so when the officers suspect that some of the traders are of dubious characters.

However, Hon Amankwah stated that when the officers have no reason to either suspect or question any trader, there is no need exploiting them or demanding from them sexual favours.

“Ghana is a country that believes in the rule of law and so immigration officers have no business harassing any trader especially the females folk when they are at no fault”, the former MP stressed.

Upcoming Elections:

Hon Amankwah said the NPP was coasting to a third term victory at the polls in December. 

But noted such acts of illegality and harassment such as extortion and demands for sexual favours have the tendency to erode the confidence the people have in the government of the day.

Hon Amankwah therefore hinted of plans and efforts of getting the details and identities of such officers who are misbehaving so they could be arrested and prosecuted for dabbling in criminal acts.

“We urge the top echelon of the Ghana Immigration Service to investigate the numerous complaints against some of their officers who are manning the borders of the country and help to rid them of these unscrupulous persons parading as trained officers”, the former MP asserted. 

BY Michael Ofosu-Afriyie 

Kumasi