Building human resources to address human capacity gaps that confront personnel at the various State security institutions, remains one of the top agenda of the Government.

Mr. Kobby Acheampong, Deputy Minister of the Interior, made the observation at a short ceremony in Accra on Wednesday when certificates were presented to 10 officers who had successfully completed a training and examination exercise conducted by Royal Marechaussee in the Netherlands.

The training is part of the Dutch Government’s contributions to the Thematic Programme on Migration and Asylum.

The certification of the officers was a partial fulfillment of objectives set under an ongoing three-year European Union (EU) funded Programme on Countering Human Smuggling and other Irregular Migration in Ghana.

Mr. Achempong observed that challenges associated with migration had become widespread and complex with time, saying capacities and efforts were required to address them.

“It requires that capacities and efforts that are put forward in addressing some of these problems be equally if not ahead, sophisticated and relevant to our modern day challenges,” he said.

Mr. Acheampong expressed government’s appreciation to the EU and its partner missions for the support, and challenged the officers to deliver their responsibilities in a more professional manner to support Ghana’s efforts to clamp down on document fraud, human smuggling and other irregular migration.

Commissioner of Police (COP) Dr. Peter Wiredu, Director of Ghana Immigration Service, reminded the officers to contribute towards solving the issues that confronted the country in the area of documentation and identity fraud, human smuggling and irregular migration.

Mr. Manuel Minnarr, a representative of the Netherlands Ambassador, called for international co-operation to fight criminal networks which he said had crossed borders.

Mr. Minnarr, who is also an Airline and Immigration Liaison Officer, also called on the certified officers to collaborate among themselves to “multiply their effectiveness”.

The officers included Mr. Manuel Minnarr, Mr. Kwabena Amponsah, Ibrahim Issaka Lang Hani, Mr. Thomas Ewuntomah, Mr. Felix Agyeman Bosompem and Vera Arinzie.

The rest were Michael Adjei-Gyimah, Mr. Frank Ofori Apronti, Madam Agnes Ahetor, Madam Salomey Braimah and Mr. Sylvester Quansah Asare.

They were drawn from the Ghana Immigration Service, Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service and Births and Deaths Registry.

The examination they undertook in the Netherlands in October 2011 was part of a process of certifying the officers of these State agencies as document specialists, to enable them appear as expert witnesses in court in cases of document fraud and abuse related to human struggling and other irregular migration crimes.**