Accra, May 18, GNA - For the first time ever the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) would conduct a second examination for those who have applied to be enlisted into the Service. The examination scheduled for May 23 to 27, between 0700 hours and 1600 hours at all GIS Regional Offices, is to test the writing skills of the applicants.

The examination would be conducted in Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi, Ho, Tamale, Cape Coast, Koforidua, Sunyani, Wa, Tema and Assin Fosu. It will be for only those who took part in the Recruitment Examination in February. They are to report with the original and photocopies of their academic and birth certificates for the next stage of the recruitment exercise. Mr Francis Palmdeti, Head of Public Affairs, GIS, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on Wednesday, said the first examination conducted on February 12, 2011 was to test their intelligence skills.

"But the Recruitment Committee established to conduct the exercise thought it wise to test them in writing skills to enable the Service to select the best out of the lot," he said. Mr Palmdeti said they observed that most applicants also sent their applications to other security agencies for recruitment and before the GIS would complete its recruitment some of them might have been recruited by the other agencies.

The GIS Recruitment Committee, he said, had the firm belief that the second examination would reduce the number of applicants and also assist the Service to do thorough work to recruit only qualified applicants.

Mr Palmdeti said those to be selected after the examination would undergo medical examination and successful applicants invited for training. Meanwhile, GIS would verify the certificates of applicants with the West African Examinations Council. Asked whether the GIS would sustain the new process, he said: "The Recruitment Committee is the body mandated to conduct the exercise we will wait for its report and if we achieve our targets then we will continue with the two examinations, but if we do not then, we will stick to the old course."

Mr Palmdeti said they were aware that the applicants were eager to secure employment but, 93I would like to appeal to them to be patient and give the necessary support to the officials to ensure a successful exercise". He said the successful ones would be short-listed and fortunate ones enlisted for training.