A Security Expert in Aflao, Daniel Akpalu has bemoaned the security situations at the Aflao border which he described as “very porous.”
According to him, there are many instances where people especially travelers complained that law enforcement official at the border extorted money from them making corruption very endemic along the border.
He said in an interview that citizens in Aflao are extremely concerned that the security situations is worrying, adding that “things may spill out of control, if government did not take steps to correct them. Crime and corruption are on the increase here and the security officials are involved with impunity.”
According to Daniel Akpalu, the actions of the security personnel at the Aflao border constitute another blow to democracy, human right and civic freedom because criminals are allowed to operate within a safe heaven.
The security agencies at the Aflao border, he revealed, are underestimating the viciousness and tenacity of terrorist extremism in our borders and communities and are rather focusing on how to make money.
“They must take necessary actions to protect state sovereignty, their focus must not be on how to make money and clearing agents at the border, they must go beyond that,” he said.
He stated categorically that some personnel of the security agencies are threat to the state as they abuse the responsibilities assigned to them by the State.
He said: “To me integrity means doing the right thing even if nobody is watching. The security agencies at the border become baiters, exploiters and abusers. The fact that nobody is watching merely means it is easier for them to operate. They don’t even bother trying to find reason or rationalize their attitude and moves, but rather, they are driven by blind ambitions and cut-throat mentality that they access without second thoughts.”
He also mentioned that moral and discipline have virtually broken down in the security service at the border and as they lost their sense of honesty.
All these he said is as result of a break in the chain of command in the security forces at border is broken.
“Look, the chain of command in the security forces at border is broken,” he said.
“They are repeatedly warned to be alert against this terrorist extremis and that the potential consequence would be serious. The potential scales of corruption practices which have been uncovered is very large, the evidence for this wrong doing is very strong. When one is part of states authority one is faultless with regards to the institutions and their rules otherwise the authority of the state is let down. I think our security need to be uplifted and not to be undermined. I do think that public trust and confidence in the intelligence community is crucial so we need to look at that,” he said.
By PROSPER AGBENYEGA