The Upper East Regional Commander for the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Samuel Owusu, has urged security agencies in the region to uphold professionalism and avoid resorting to violence in settling disputes or misunderstandings.
His call for restraint follows a series of clashes between security services in the region last year, including incidents involving officers of the Customs Division of the GRA.
One of the notable incidents occurred at the Kulungugu border on July 22, 2024, where a disagreement between an immigration officer and a customs officer over the payment of border fees by an importer from Burkina Faso led to a physical altercation.
Another confrontation was reported at the Missiga security checkpoint in Bawku on October 9, 2024, where a misunderstanding between personnel escalated into a scuffle. These incidents attracted national attention and raised concerns about the relationship between security agencies in the region.
Speaking at the 2024 End of Year Party and Awards Night held at the Lapam Zorkor Hotel over the weekend, Commander Samuel Owusu acknowledged the tensions but emphasized that violence should never be a means of settling disputes.
The year also recorded some unpleasant but avoidable clashes between Customs and our sister security agencies, which attracted national attention. Let me use this platform to admonish my officers once again to let professionalism, which is one of the key pillars of our core values, guide them in the discharge of their duties,” he stated.
Mr. Owusu appealed to all security agencies operating in the region to respect each other’s mandates and jurisdictions, as defined by law, to prevent overlaps and unnecessary conflicts.
“While admonishing my officers, I also want to respectfully appeal to our sister security agencies to mutually respect our various mandates. We should be mindful that, at all times, violence should not be used as a tool for settling scores or resolving misunderstandings among us,” he said.
He further encouraged all security services to use laid-down channels and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in addressing disputes instead of engaging in physical confrontations.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah | Bolgatanga
