The CUSTOMS Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has described the increasing deaths among officers as disturbing.
The President of the Retired Customs Officers’ Association (RECOA), Deputy Commissioner (DC), Ernest Samuel Ackwerh, at a Remembrance Service organised by the association in Accra, revealed that 29 serving officers died last year.
“Twenty-nine serving officers dying in 2023 alone is alarming. This can be attributed to the stress officers have to go through to meet their high revenue targets,” he identified.
DC Ackwerh (rtd) also raised concerns at the rate of death of retired officers, saying “Twenty-one retired colleagues also died in 2023, and this news should not be pleasant to us.”
The RECOA President described as woefully paltry some GH¢1,000 medical bill reimbursement for each retired officer annually.
“Though the amount has been increased from GH¢1000 to GH¢1,500 it is still inadequate considering the current cost of seeking medical care in Ghana,” he emphasised.
DC Ackwerh (rtd) lauded a move by the GRA to establish a health facility to cater for the health needs of both serving and retired officers, though he observed that this is a long-term project which does not address the urgent health issues of retired officers.
“I heard the Commissioner talk about a 500-bed capacity hospital for officers, but that is a long-term project. We, therefore, propose that a special health insurance scheme be put in place to absorb our medical expenses whilst the long-term project is pursued, rather than giving us GH¢1,500 which is woefully inadequate,” he explained.
The Commissioner of Customs Division of the GRA, Brigadier General Bawa Zibrim Ayorrogo, reacting to the issues, assured the officers that leadership was taking pragmatic steps to correct the present narrative.
“We should have our own to take care of our own and I will lead this charge,” he said and reassured the personnel of bringing into fruition the health facility for the officers.
Brig Gen. Ayorrogo was not happy that Customs does not have a dedicated cemetery to bury their hardworking and dedicated officers.
“Customs is undoubtedly the largest revenue collector for Ghana. We have always exceeded our targets and it’s time to request our own cemetery, as the military, where we shall bury our own by the sanction of families,” he added.
He, therefore, pledged to push for all that the service needs to provide some level of decent life for officers during and after service.
The RECOA laid a wreath on behalf of all the families of the departed officers.
