Show compassion towards the destitute –CEPS BOSS

The Commissioner of the Northern Sector Command of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Mr. Ernest Frimpong-Nuamah, has called on Ghanaians to show compassion towards the destitute and the less-privileged in society, especially during the coming Christmas.

He gave the advice when he led a team of CEPS officials from the Tamale Collection to make some donations to the inmates of the Shekhinah Health Centre in Tamale.

The items presented include, bags of rice, cooking oil, a sheep, sachet water and detergents. Presenting the items, an Assistant Commissioner of CEPS, Ernest Frimpong-Nuamah, explained that the presentation of the items was not only to honour their social responsibilities, but to largely serve as a precedent for his successor, individuals, and other agencies to emulate.

This is the second time his office has made donations of this kind to the Shekhinah Clinic.

Meanwhile, the Shekhinah Clinic, which was established over a decade ago, is giving free medical services to the destitute, mentally challenged, blind and many others.

Services in the Clinic are given purely for the love of God and neighbours, and are absolutely free.

It is currently taking care of over 37 destitute persons and several mentally-ill persons. The Shekhinah Clinic also provides free meals to 157 mentally-challenged persons on the streets of Tamale every morning and evening, and also offers free medical care and accommodation to those on admission.

Receiving the items on behalf of the inmates, Dr. David Abdullai, owner and Resident Doctor of the Shekhinah Clinic, commended CEPS for the gesture, and described it as an element of divine providence.

Like Oliver Twist, he asked other organisations to emulate the gesture, to make life more comfortable for the inmates.

In a related development, the Northern Sector Command of the Custom Excise and Preventive Services (CEPS) has destroyed 330,000 cartons of seized cigarettes in Tamale.

The cigarettes, which were of different brands, were burnt completely, because they were smuggled into the country, and did not have the health warning: “Cigarette smoking can be harmful to your health.”

Mr. Ernest Frimpong-Nuamah, Northern Sector Commander of CEPS, led a team of CEPS personnel, some officials from the Food and Drugs Board and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to carry out the destruction exercise.

Mr. William H. O. Annan, Principal Collector and Regional Preventive Officer of CEPS, said the destruction of the cigarettes was to serve as a warning to others to desist from smuggling unauthorised items into the country.