BODSEC To Tighten Security at Aflao Border, Towns

The Aflao Border Security Committee (BODSEC), is set to tighten security and secure the safety of travellers and businessmen along Ghana's Eastern frontier with Togo.

This includes a 24/7hour system of protection for travellers especially at odd hours in the border town.

Madam Sheila Vigbedor, Customs Division, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA)'s Aflao Sector Commander and BODSEC Chairperson, revealed this in an interview with the GNA at Aflao.

The Customs Division, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Fire Service, Military Intelligence, Bureau of National Investigations, National Security and Narcotic Control Board, constitute the committee.

Madam Vigbedor said the committee would regularly engage travellers on dangerous points such as Diamond Cement Factory and Beat Nine junctions which were prone to criminal activities.

The BODSEC Chairperson said as part of decisions at its December 20l8 meeting, joint patrols were also to be intensified, and a sub-committee tasked to observe the sanitation situation to avoid disease outbreaks.

"BODSEC is necessary and still relevant, bringing respective inter-agency challenges on board, building for us a bridge of unity, and we are on top of the issues", she said.

Madam Vigbedor described as good news plans by the Interior Ministry to have an access road constructed along Ghana's side of the frontier, as pertains at the Togolese side for long now.

She said the road will enhance patrols, thereby provide an added impetus to fighting crime and improve revenue collection by the Customs Division.

Madam Vigbedor hinted that air and land survey as part of preparations for the work had since been done.

On the working relationship between the Aflao BODSEC and its Togolese counterpart at neighbouring Kodjoviakope, a Lome surburb, she said the two were still closely linked together over respective and mutual interests.

"We still have the joint BODSEC in a continuing peaceful atmosphere, where we walk to each other freely on issues anytime in the interest of our core duties, the security the peoples and travellers", Madam Vigbedor said.

She revealed however the biannual joint meetings between them did not take place the previous year, but said one would be held soon, to be chaired by the Ghana side as the chairmanship rotates.

The Aflao border, considered the country's busiest entry point, and the world's closest frontier to another country's capital city-Lome, the Togolese capital, is also labelled a safe haven for cross-border criminals dodging arrest from other places in the ECOWAS sub-region.

—GNA