From Michael Boateng.
THE GHANA Immigration Service (GIS) would establish a training institute at Acherensua in the Asutifi South District of this region. This came to light when the Director of the Ghana Immigration Service, COP Dr. Peter Wiredu, paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Acherensua, Agyewodin Professor Adu Gyamfi Ampem.
Dr. Wiredu’s purpose of the visit was to express appreciation to the Kenyasi Traditional Authority, led by Agyewodin Professor Adu Gyamfi Ampem, for the donation of an 80-acre land for the establishment of the GIS Training Institute. The establishment of the Acherensua GIS Training Institute would be the second in the country to that of Assin-Fosu in the Central Region.
A carton of Schnapps and a ram, as well as an undisclosed amount of money, were presented by COP Dr. Peter Wiredu to Agyewodin Professor Adu Gyamfi to express appreciation towards the donation of the 80-acre land. The Director of Immigration Service had earlier paid a courtesy call to the Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, Eric Opoku, in Sunyani. Mr. Eric Opoku used the occasion to appeal for the establishment of an Immigration Service post at Dokokyina, near Bui in the Banda District, to check on the influx of foreign nationals who have been engaged in illegal mining activities.
He said there were lots of suspected illegal immigrants in the area who were engaged in illegal mining and other illicit activities that have been affecting the smooth management of the Bui project. At Acherensua, COP Dr. Peter Wiredu disclosed that plans were underway to establish an immigration office at Kenyasi, due to the expatriate officials of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited within the Ahafo Mines area.
He said the establishment of the Kenyasi office would ease the inconveniences associated with people having to travel from Kenyasi to Accra before their traveling documents are processed, when they want to travel outside the country. Dr. Wiredu also indicated that the office would help in the decentralisation process of the Ghana Immigration Service, where other people can go there to process their passports and other immigration related issues without wasting time and resources travelling to Sunyani or Accra.
He commended Agyewodin Professor Adu Gyamfi Ampem for the donation of the land for the establishment of the training institute, assuring him that the land would be used to the expectations of the Acherensua traditional authority.
Agyewodin Professor Adugyamfi Ampem called on the Director to, as a matter of urgency, commence work on the land to prevent prospective encroachers, so that the youth of the country could be trained to gain employment. Adu Gyamfi Ampem later led the Director of the GIS and his entourage to the 80-acre land allocated for the establishment of the GIS raining Institute.