In a nation built on the backs of those who serve, silence has become the anthem of our protectors. This open letter is not just a plea; it’s a cry from the heart of Ghana’s security forces, especially our Immigration Officers, who risk their lives daily with little recognition and even less support.
It’s time for our leaders to listen, not when tragedy strikes, but now, while voices still speak and hearts still hope. This is a humble letter from an anonymous Officer of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT, CHIEF OF STAFF, MINISTER FOR THE INTERIOR, COMPTROLLER-GENERAL OF IMMIGRATION, AND ALL HEADS OF SECURITY SERVICES
With all due respect, I write with a heavy heart and tears buried in silence, not just for myself, but for every security officer who wakes up each day not knowing if they’ll return home alive.
The lives of these innocent men and women out there are not just uniforms in motion; they are sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers who have sworn to protect the country we proudly call our motherland. Yet, in doing so, we are dying slowly and painfully while protecting the very land that sometimes forgets us.
Our sacrifices are often unseen. Our struggles are unheard. Our pain becomes news only when tragedy strikes. Too often, the only time our leaders speak of us is when stories are written after an officer falls. But beyond those headlines lie families left broken, colleagues traumatized, and a deep silence that lingers long after the flags are lowered.
As Stonebwoy once asked, “Where we gonna run go?” when our own motherland becomes a bitter place to live? That question echoes in our hearts every time we step out in service without assurance of safety, without the feeling that our welfare truly matters.
We are pleading not for luxury, not for praise, but for dignity, respect, and compassion. We ask that our welfare be prioritized, that our safety be taken seriously, and that the system that depends on our strength also cares for our well-being.
The security personnel of this nation, especially the Immigration Service, deserve better. We deserve leaders who feel our pain, who listen to our cries before they become eulogies, and who treat us with the humanity we so freely extend to others.
Let this not be just another cry lost in the wind. Let it be the beginning of a change that restores hope to every uniformed man and woman who still believes in the dream of a better Ghana.
Treat security personnel, most especially Immigration Officers, with dignity and respect.
Show us compassion. Hear our voices before they fade into silence.
For Service, For Sacrifice, For the Motherland.
