Mr Ambrose Dery, the Minister of the Interior, says COVID-19 is a real threat to national security and called for effective collaboration among security officials to use innovative ways to combat the pandemic.
“The Covid-19 pandemic is a threat to national security and must be dealt with as such,” he said.
“Events around the world have clearly shown that no single country or institution has been able to tackle the devastating pandemic alone.”
Mr Dery said this during the opening ceremony of Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) three-day Management and Regional Commanders Retreat in the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua.
He said although the Government had built a strong synergy of interagency approach and collaborative effort among the security services, it was important to device new ways of fighting the pandemic.
Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, Ghana has taken several steps, including lockdown and formation of “Operation COVID-19 Safety Team” made up of various security personnel to fight the pandemic.
That notwithstanding, the Minister said: “We cannot rest on our oars, we must intensify our efforts and continually think of innovative ways to ensure that our dear nation remains secured.”
The GIS Management and Regional Commanders retreat is an annual event aimed to discuss ways of detecting, preventing and deterring illegal movements around Ghana’s borders.
The 2021 event, which was organised on the theme: “Responding to Evolving National Security Threat in the Era of COVID-19,” had several top management and staff of GIS, including Chief Director of the Ministry of Interior, Mr Isaac Ampaw Gyasi, attending.