GIS Moves to Safeguard Trade, Investment at Sogakope
The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) is stepping up surveillance and operational efficiency at the Sogakope Inland Checkpoint as part of wider efforts to strengthen internal security and protect Ghana’s economic corridors from illicit cross-border activities.
During a recent working visit to the Sogakope Immigration Sector Command, Comptroller-General of Immigration (CGI) Samuel Basintale Amadu emphasized the strategic significance of the inland checkpoint to Ghana’s trade, investment climate, and national security. He charged immigration officers to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and integrity, highlighting the growing need to monitor unauthorized migration flows—particularly the rising influx of trafficked persons from the Sahel region.
“These individuals, often trafficked under the pretext of beggars, must be denied entry on sight,” CGI Amadu stated, noting the national implications for public order and economic management. “This checkpoint is more than just a border post—it is an economic safeguard. We must ensure it functions as a critical barrier to all illegal entry.”
The inland checkpoint, located in a key economic zone, plays a vital role in controlling the movement of goods and people from neighboring West African countries into Ghana’s southern markets. An increase in illegal cross-border activity not only raises security concerns but also poses risks to businesses operating within Ghana’s regulated environment. Smuggling, human trafficking, and undocumented migration disrupt formal market activity, depress government revenues, and increase the burden on social services.
To enhance operational efficiency, CGI Amadu pledged essential logistics support, including motorcycles, to boost patrols across the terrain, reaffirming GIS’s commitment to modernization and cross-agency cooperation.
Speaking at a joint durbar of GIS officers and Customs officials from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), CGI Amadu underscored the importance of inter-agency collaboration, especially in economic border areas such as Sogakope, where a streamlined interface between Customs and Immigration is key to facilitating legitimate trade while intercepting contraband and unauthorized entries.
“Operational vigilance is critical. The mandate you carry not only protects Ghana’s borders but safeguards investor confidence, local entrepreneurship, and social stability,” he emphasized.
His visit to Sogakope followed his appearance at the passing-out ceremony of NARCOC Basic Trainees at the Naval Recruit Training School in Nutekpor, where he reiterated the importance of unity, discipline, and professional conduct in preserving Ghana’s national and economic interests.
The renewed focus on inland border controls aligns with Ghana’s broader national security and economic policy objectives, particularly under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), where mobility, migration governance, and customs compliance are essential for economic transformation.
