The former Minister of the Interior Mr Mark Woyongo, on Monday handed over his ministerial responsibilities to Mr Prosper Bani, who has been sworn in by President John Dramani Mahama to replace him.
He commended all the agencies under the Ministry for their collaboration which resulted in the Ministry achieving so much despite the financial challenges.
Mr Woyongo noted that under his authority 11 bills were sent to Parliament, one of which is the Immigration Service Bill that was passed by Parliament.
He said the Immigration Service Bill will enhance security operations of immigration officials especially at the country’s borders.
He said the passage of the bill has empowered Immigration officers to carry arms and ammunitions in the discharge of their duties. He therefore appealed to the Immigration Service to make maximum use of the weapons.
Mr Woyongo said a draft Bill on Non-Custodial Law has been sent to the Attorney General’s Department to be fined tuned and submitted to cabinet.
He said that Bill would help decongest the country’s prisons so that people who committed minor offences and have found themselves in the prisons would be released and made to do community work.
He also praised the coming into force of the Justice for All program, noting that through it, a High Court has now been established in Nsawam which looks into remand cases.
The former Minister said the Efiase project has yielded encouraging results and appealed to Ghanaians to assist to contribute to it.
He said President Mahama also promised 50 million Ghana cedis for infrastructural development for remand prisoners, adding that ‘we want to separate remand from convicts.
He also called on the security agencies to ensure free, fair and transparent elections to proof to the world that Ghana was still a beacon of hope and a peaceful country as far as democracy was concerned.
He said logistics will be provided to the security agencies to ensure peaceful elections.
For his part, Mr Prosper Bani said his responsibility is to build on where Mr Woyongo has left off, because his predecessor has achieved a lot.
He said there were challenges on conflict, over-crowding, logistics for the Police, and capacity building on issues bordering the Agencies.
The New Minister tasked the Agencies to have a preventive orientation on issues, especially the way the rains cause a lot of havoc to lives and property, so that such disasters will be curbed.
The following ministers have also been sworn into office:
1.Albert Abongo – Upper East Regional Minister designate.
2. John Alexander Ackon – Ashanti Regional Minister designate
3. Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye – Minister of Youth and Sports designate
4. Kweku Rickets Hagan – Central Regional Minister designate
5. Abdallah Abubakari – Northern Regional Minister designate
6. Prosper Douglas Bani – Minster of Interior designate
7. Mavis Ama Frimpong – Eastern Regional Minister designate
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Source: GNA