Accra, July 22, GNA - Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister for the Interior on Tuesday, charged the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to ensure that questionable investors did not enter the country to take the people for a ride. "This implies proper profiling of people coming into this country and monitoring their activities to ensure that such visitors are really who they claim to be and do not pose a threat to the security of the state."

Mr Owusu-Agyemang said this at the inauguration of a seven-member Board of the Service in Accra chaired by Mr Ernest Owusu-Poku, the Immediate Past Inspector General of Police, who was also a former Director of the Service. The Minister stressed the importance of the Service to the country's economic development by adopting an investor satisfactory reception at the entry posts, since first impressions were always crucial.

Mr Owusu-Agyemang noted that with the recent spate of terrorists and criminals jumping from one country to another, it behoves the GIS to expedite the computerisation of its operations at entry points in order to have accurate data on all those entering. He said with the conflict events in the West Africa Sub-Region the Service should be mindful of how to manage the influx of immigrants from these spots.

Mr Owusu-Poku noted that the Service was important to national security and gave the assurance that the Board would closely monitor its work to play its statutory role without blemish. Ms Elizabeth Adjei, Director of GIS, said that the Service was undergoing major policy restructuring and some of the crucial decisions required the approval of the Board. "Major decisions requiring board approval have been stalled. These include promotions to certain top categories, approval of conditions of service, including allowances, implementation of certain policies and critical intervention at the highest level to support the Service's operations."

The Board members are Ms Vicky Tsotsoo, Development Management Practitioner, Dr H. Wemah, Chairman of the Council of University of Development Studies, Nana Oheneba Agyeman Badu, Atipinhene of Kumasi, Professor Kofi Baffoe Bonnie, Ms Adjei, Director, GIS and the Reverend Professor Adukwei Hesse of the University of Ghana Medical School, Korle-Bu.