COMMUNITY FORUM HELD AT NEWTOWN

A community forum was held on Thursday 30th March 2023 at Newtown in the Jomoro Municipality.
The objective of the forum was to sensitise the residents to monitor and report on issues related to border security and facilitate continuous engagements between the residents and the various security agencies in the area.
In attendance was the National Coordinator of the Ghana Boundary Commission (GhBC), Major General Emmanuel Kotia, the Chief Director of the Western Regional Coordinating Council, Mr Frederick Agyemang (Rep. the Regional Minister), the Municipal Chief Executive for Jomoro Municipal Assembly, Hon. Louisa Iris Arde, the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mrs Joyce Akosua Angmorteh Miezah, the Chief of Half Assini, Nana Ayebie Amihere VI, Heads of Security Services, Media Personnel and Representatives from Ghana National Petroleum Corporation.
Addressing the residents and security officials at the event, Major General Emmanuel Kotia said the Ghana Boundary Commission is mandated by law to be responsible for the protection of land and maritime boundaries across the country.
He said the forum forms part of a series of programs being conducted along all land border communities especially, Newtown where there is a linkage to the maritime boundary to inspect the International Maritime Boundary Line that demarcates Ghana and Cote D’ Ivoire on Ghana’s western territorial integrity.
Major General Kotia disclosed that Ghana’s maritime boundary is intact as prescribed by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) agreement and the commission is in collaboration with the National Boundary Commission of Cote D’ Ivoire to continue the inspection of the pillars along the frontiers in the west.
He mentioned that the cooperation between the community, government officials, security services and stakeholders in the area had been encouraging and that the commission would continue to engage the local communities and government actors to ensure that the frontiers are well marked and protected at all times.
He divulged that cross-border cooperation is very significant and Ghana had recently ratified the AU Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation which would lead to a lot of collaboration between Ghana and her neighbours as far as cross-border issues are concerned.
Major General Kotia said it behoves the commission to ensure that all boundary markers are visible for security agents and is currently in discussions with the National Boundary Commission of Cote D’Ivoire to reaffirm the internal boundary marks between Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire. He added that the commission would consult its Ivorian counterpart if there are issues the commission would willingly discuss with them and resolve them amicably.
He concluded that the commission is aware of certain issues that had been brought before it and would liaise with the Municipal Assembly to see how they could jointly resolve them. He assured the gathering that as part of the commission’s responsibility, it would identify prime communities on the boundary demarcations and see the support that could be offered to them.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Louisa Iris Arde on her part said the visit by the National Coordinator of GhBC to the Municipality was timely and the first of its kind since Ghana won the three-year maritime boundary dispute against Cote D’Ivoire in September 2017. She said with that ruling by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) now behind, Ghana still has a long way to go in protecting her borders, especially the maritime boundaries to avert future deadlock.
She said Jomoro is the hub of oil exploration and production both on-shore and offshore and as the President’s vision of putting up a 60 Billion United State Dollars Petroleum Hub in the Municipality draws closer, there would be greater security concerns in the area.
As the Chairperson of the Municipal Security Council, she assured all and sundry the security agencies are and will always remain on top of their job to protect life, properties and maintain public safety and order.
She expressed appreciation to the commission for the zeal with which it keeps a close watch on the country’s international frontiers, including the western boundaries and wished them the most memorable and rewarding visit to Jomoro.
The residents were allowed to ask questions and satisfactory answers were provided by the MCE and security officers in charge.
A surveillance drone simulation was conducted to confirm if there were irregular activities ongoing at the sea and the land border and the joint maritime patrol team led the National Coordinator and his entourage to inspect pillar 55 that demarcates Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire.