Accra, May 27, GNA - Civil society organizations in Ghana have been advised to pressurize government to initiate the use of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) passport to reduce the stress and difficulties faced by Ghanaian travellers in countries in the sub-region.

Mrs Susan Naa Sekyere, Deputy Public Affairs Director, Ghana Trades Union Congress made the call in Accra at a press briefing on Wednesday organized by the West African Civil Society Forum (WASCOF) and stakeholders as part of the celebration of ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement.

Currently, Senegal, Nigeria, Niger, Benin, Guinea and Liberia use the ECOWAS passport.

Mrs Sekyere said treaties had been put in place to overcome the difficulties and pains West African travellers went through, but these were not enforced thereby making trade and movement of people tiresome. She commended WASCOF for the part they were playing to resolve the issue and urged stakeholders and law enforcement agencies to abide by the protocol and play their respective roles efficiently. Ms Bashiratu Kamal, Women's Commissioner of the National Union of Ghana Students, said their objective was to create awareness of the protocol adopted by ECOWAS in 1979, relating to the free movement of persons and goods and the right of residence and establishment. She added that they were advocating a no-fee payment at land borders and to conduct sensitization discussions with border officials at land or airport posts on ways to ensure greater fluidity for West African travellers.

Ms Kamal said language, social, political and economic barriers, absence of adequate mechanisms to control infiltration of criminals and other human or drug traffickers, lack of harmonization between national laws and policies with ECOWAS protocols and decisions among others were the obstacles to the effective enforcement of the protocol. She said the campaign would be monitored from its planning, implementation and finishing stages by the Regional Secretariat of WASCOF together with Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and their partners.

The programme funded by the OSIWA is partnered by the Ghana Immigration Service and Customs, Excise Preventive Service, among others.