Immigration Comptroller-General appeals for Community Support to Safeguard Peace following Hamile Explosion
The Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Mr. Samuel Basintale Amadu, has called on traditional authorities, community leaders and residents of Hamile to work closely with security agencies to preserve peace and stability following a recent explosion that claimed three lives, including that of an Immigration officer.
Mr. Amadu appealed during a visit to Hamile to assess the security situation following the tragic incident, which also left another Immigration officer injured.
The explosion claimed the lives of an Immigration officer and two civilians, raising concerns about security and the need for stronger collaboration between communities and security agencies, particularly amid prevailing security challenges in the West African sub-region.
As part of his visit, the Comptroller-General held a stakeholder engagement with traditional authorities, opinion leaders, youth leaders, members of the development committee and other community representatives.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Amadu described the incident as unfortunate, stressing the need for all stakeholders to learn from the tragedy and work together to protect the peace, unity and security of the area.
He urged community members to put aside their differences, embrace reconciliation and build harmonious relationships in the interest of lasting peace and development.
Mr. Amadu emphasised that security agencies were not adversaries of the communities they served but partners in national security and development, urging residents to cooperate with them in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The Comptroller-General also inspected the scene of the explosion, which has been cordoned off and remains under investigation and subsequently led a delegation to visit the bereaved families, where he conveyed his condolences and sympathies over the loss of their loved ones.
At the Hamile Sector Command, Mr. Amadu held a durbar with Immigration officers and encouraged them, together with other security personnel, to remain professional, disciplined and exercise the utmost decorum in the performance of their duties, irrespective of the challenges they encounter.
He commended the officers for their dedication, resilience and commitment to duty, urging them to maintain the highest standards of conduct while carrying out their national security responsibilities.
The Comptroller-General also engaged members of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) and the Border Security Council, commending them for their collaborative efforts and commitment to maintaining peace and security in the area.
The community leaders, in response, assured the Comptroller-General of their readiness to collaborate with security agencies to prevent a recurrence of the incident.
They, however, appealed for the lifting of the curfew and the reopening of the border to vehicular traffic to restore normalcy and support economic activities in the community.
Responding to the concerns, Mr. Amadu acknowledged that the curfew had become necessary under the prevailing circumstances to maintain law and order.
He expressed optimism that the restriction could be reviewed and eventually lifted if residents continued to demonstrate their commitment to peace and refrained from acts of violence against security personnel.
Judith Twumwaa, ISD
