Border Communities and Residents near Aflao have expressed joy and gratitude to the central government as Aflao Border opened for public business to allow movement of goods and travellers in line with the Covid-19 protocols.
Many of the residents and traders along the border from Beat 9 and the main border as well as the commercial drivers and motor Ridders have expressed happiness given that “business has started again”.
For about two years residents of Ketu South and other towns along the border line in the Volta Region had been under some form of lockdown since their main business of cross border trade had stopped due to the border closure to curtail the spread of coronavirus.
In an interview with gbcghanaonline.com at Aflao Border, the Sector Commander, Assistant of Immigration, Fredrick Baah Duodu said, they had opened the Ghana side of the border since midnight as directed by the President of the Republic.
He said, the immigration has equally removed the second checkpoint at Nogokpo/Atsiwuta tollbooth to profile the travellers who allegedly entered Ghana through unapproved routes and officers were recalled to the main border for new reassignment.
According to him, they are working with the Municipal Health Directorate to first check and process the travellers as they arrive.
On the issue of alleged harassment at the border, the Commander said, “it’s not part of the professional ethics of Immigration to harass anybody at the border but Ghana is one the civilized countries where rules and regulations govern our work”, he said.
Travellers must use right routes to enter or leave Ghana using appropriate document (s) prescribed by law”
He however, entreated people with no business to stay away from the area because “the border belongs to the State and it is strictly a security zone, we are obliged to protect all including other foreign citizens who want to use the border”.
The Ketu South Municipal Director of Heath, Joseph Degbey disclosed that they had completed arrangements for a refrigerator to store coronavirus vaccines meant for arrivals.
He said they have also organized training sessions for some of the staff on how to receive the travellers appropriately.
By Edzorna Francis Mensah
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