The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has called on stakeholder institutions participating in the West African Police Information System (WAPIS) Ghana Programme to demonstrate sustained commitment towards strengthening and sustaining the system to improve criminal investigations and enhance national and regional security.
He said the effectiveness of WAPIS depended not only on the availability of modern technology and infrastructure but also on strong inter-agency collaboration, accurate criminal data, adequate resources and the retention of trained personnel.
The Minister made the call at a meeting of WAPIS Ghana National Committee (WANACO) at the Police Headquarters in Accra.
Muntaka noted that the increasing transnational nature of crime, including human trafficking, drug trafficking, cybercrime, financial crime and other organised criminal activities, required effective information sharing and cooperation among law enforcement agencies.
According to him, criminals continues to exploit gaps in communication and weaknesses in information exchange, making it imperative for security institutions to strengthen their capacity to collect, manage, analyse and share criminal information in a timely, secure and lawful manner.
He urged WANACO to strengthen its oversight and coordination role by ensuring that its deliberations translated into clear decisions, defined responsibilities and measurable outcomes.
The Minister also urged all stakeholder institutions to regard WAPIS as a shared national responsibility, stressing that its success could not rest solely on the CID or the WAPIS Centre but required the active participation and commitment of every institution.
The meeting brought together representatives of the European Union, ECOWAS, INTERPOL, security and law enforcement institutions to deliberate on the progress, challenges and sustainability of the WAPIS Ghana Programme.
Source:Fiilafmonline/3News
