The Governing Council of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) is seeking to roll out Operation Secure Our Borders (SECOBOR), a public-private initiative to strengthen border control and improve officers’ welfare.
The proposal was disclosed by the Chairman of the Governing Council of the GIS, Rev. Stephen Yenusom Wengam, when he led a delegation of the Council to the Jubilee House to brief President John Dramani Mahama on the strategic direction and emerging priorities of the Service.
Rev. Wengam said the SECOBOR initiative was expected to significantly strengthen the operational capacity of the GIS and enable it to contribute more effectively to national security and socio-economic development.
He noted that weak border control continued to expose Ghana to smuggling, human trafficking and illicit trade, which posed direct threats to national security and public safety.
“Inadequate resources and logistical constraints erode government revenue, disrupt local industries and weaken legitimate commerce,” Rev. Wengam added.
He outlined some of the major challenges confronting the Service, including inadequate accommodation, shortage of vehicles and motorbikes for patrol duties, and limited logistics at border posts.
Rev. Wengam said many of these challenges could be substantially addressed if the GIS was allowed to retain at least 80 per cent of its Internally Generated Funds (IGF) for a five-year period, after which the current retention arrangement could be restored.
He disclosed that in 2025 alone, the GIS generated GH₵546,042,386 in IGF, of which GH₵218,416,954, representing 40 per cent, was retained by the Service. Out of the retained amount, 25 per cent had been earmarked for the construction of the GIS National Headquarters Complex, leaving only 15 per cent to support administrative and operational activities.
Rev. Wengam assured the President that the GIS was ready to spearhead the implementation of an electronic visa system in close collaboration with relevant ministries, departments and agencies.
He said as part of the Service’s digital transformation agenda and its commitment to supporting the government’s 24-hour economy policy, the modernisation of border management remained a strategic priority.
“A functioning 24-hour economy requires secure, efficient and continuously operating borders. Yet, out of Ghana’s 48 approved border crossing points, only 12 are currently automated,” he observed.
Rev. Wengam expressed gratitude to President Mahama for the strategic direction that had enabled the GIS to consolidate its statutory mandate and emerge as “a vital pillar in safeguarding Ghana’s sovereignty and advancing regional cooperation.”
Responding, President Mahama assured the delegation of government’s strong backing for efforts to retool and modernise the Ghana Immigration Service.
“We stand firmly behind efforts to retool and modernise the GIS. We are working hard to resolve logistical challenges and improve the working conditions of immigration officers so that they can effectively deliver on their mandate,” the President said.
President Mahama also commended Rev. Wengam for his leadership and legacy at the Ghana Prisons Service, citing the transformative Project Efiase launched during his tenure as Board Chairman, and praised his current efforts in spearheading the SECOBOR initiative at the GIS.
The Minister of the Interior, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, underscored the critical need to improve the welfare and accommodation conditions of immigration officers, particularly those deployed to remote and high-risk locations.
He announced that seven new regional immigration offices were currently under construction across the country as part of efforts to bring immigration services closer to the public and strengthen border management nationwide.
GNA
