A sending off ceremony has been held for Mr Abdulai Tamimu Baako, Assistant Commissioner of Customs heading the Oti Region, who is retiring at the end of August 2021.

Personnel of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and other stakeholders including the Regional Minister graced the ceremony, which was held at the Oti Senior High Technical School at Dambai.

Mr Kennel Kwadjo Damoah, retired Commissioner of the GRA, joined in a series of fraternity messages and recounted the wonderful and fatherly relationship he had maintained since taking up the leadership of the Customs office of the Oti Region.

He said the retired commander had admonished the personnel who worked under him, that he was always described as a man who did not step on the foot of any of his subordinates.

Mr. Damoah said the larger Oti Region and the good people from Kete- Krachi had much confidence in him, and expected much from him.

Mr Baako, who is exiting the law enforcement service after 31 years, is being replaced by Assistant Commissioner, Mr Philip Timbillah.

He thanked the people of the Region for the confidence they had in him, and recounted how the Dambai collection started with no residential accommodation and no office accommodation.

Mr Baako said the people of the Region were finding it difficult to come to terms with the concept of taxation, and other activities in the GRA sector, and that the sensitisation programmes which were mounted to address the situation must be sustained.

He said due to the Region's proximity to the border with Togo, smuggling was very rife and the menace of uncustomed vehicles was so alarming.

The Retiring Assistant Commissioner therefore appealed to the government for pick-up trucks to augment preventive measures and also called on management of GRA to expedite measures towards acquiring a parcel of land for the construction of offices and possibly a barracks.

Mr Joshua Gmayenaam Makubu, the Oti Regional Minister, asked other security agencies to emulate the sacrifices of the retired Assistant Commissioner.

Mr Makubu admitted the challenges confronting the security agencies in the Region, and said in terms of security, educational infrastructural, roads and health sector, the Region was left unattended.