Information gathered has revealed that Togolese police officers at the borders are making life more difficult for the people living in the border community and more especially the businessmen and women who use that entry point for business.
This paper has established that their actions do not represent protection for human rights but the travesty of the rights of Ghanaian citizens.
Speaking to a businessman and security analyst, Daniel Akpaloo, he indicated that the situation is worrying and that what is happening at the border now has nothing to do with the Ghana Immigration Service, but with the Togolese police at the border who are hindering the free passage of people.
“The deprivation and repressions in that circle of the border; Sometimes you wonder what they are looking for because they do it more than necessary. The Togolese security at the Aflao border no longer recognises Ghanaians, Ghana Identity Card. This is because they felt that Ghanaian Identity Card did not meet international standards to enable citizens to cross borders, especially to neighbouring countries,” he lamented.
He asked about the importance of the ECOWAS treaty that bounds neighbouring countries together and wondered if ECOWAS is just on paper.
He said “How can you pay 2000 CFA which is GH¢ 40 before you would be allowed to cross the border? When you are coming back you pay the same, that is if you have the Ghana Card.”
According to Daniel Akpaloo, some of the African countries are not respecting the ECOWAS treaty that allows the free movement of ECOWAS citizens from one county to another and that the coalitions of ECOWAS commitment to the provisions and rules that allow free movement of neighbour’s State citizens from one county to another is missing in the chapter.
Credit to GNA
