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Ghanaian Immigration officers stationed at the southern border at Afloa, in the Ketu South municipality, are finding it difficult to monitor the activities of travellers. This is because of constant threats and massive extortion by Togolese security officials at the border. They have dismantled the wire mesh separating the two countries form Pillar Four to Pillar 16 (Beat 0 to beats 13) and are allegedly extorting moneys from travellers using unapproved routes. The Togolese security officials are engaged in this illegal business with the connivance of residents along the beats. They are alleged to be collecting between GH2 and GH5 from prospective travellers. The situation has rendered officials of the GIS, mandated to check the movement of people leaving or entering the country, helpless. The Togolese government, in the late 80�s and early 90�s constructed the wire mesh wall to ward off the frequent arms insurgence that attempted to top the regime of the late President Gnassongbe Eyademe before France Intervention to restore calm. But the wire mesh wall is now being used by the Togolese soldiers as an avenue for collecting money to the threat of Ghana�s Security. Investigations conducted by The �Ghanaian Times� revealed that officials at the Ghana border had, on several occasions, complained to their Togolese counterpart but to no avail. They have also mounted check points alongside the Togolese border authorities and are extorting money from innocent people. It is also alleged that they, at times beat up the Ghanaian immigration and customs officials who tried to stand in their way, thus putting fear in them. The illegal activities of these people are likely to affect government�s contingency plan to contain the spread of the Ebola disease into Ghana. This is because the rate at which the people are entering and leaving the country through unapproved routes cannot be accounted for by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS). When The Ghanaian Times visited the beats at Afloa Border on Friday, the Immigration officials were sitting under a shed near the beats watching the illegal activities going on. There were over four okada stations along the routes that can convey travellers and goods to any part of Lome or Afloa. The Border Patrol Commander of the GIS, Osman Adam, who was worried about the turn of events, said they had tried to stop the practice to no avail. According to him, the wire fence was constructed by the Togolese, to restrict movement to only the approved route which is the main border entry point. Mr. Adam, said things took a different turn when the Togolese soldiers manning the pillars, also known as the beats, created access routes from pillar 4 to 14 for personal gains. He confirmed that they reported the matter to the Togolese border authorities, who told them that they did not control the soldiers at the beats, thus leaving them to their fate. Mr. Adam said the situation got to a crescendo when the Aflao residents started attacking their men doing lawful duties under strenuous circumstances, adding that �our men on patrol duties are not armed and when they are attacked, how can they defend themselves.� He said four of such attacks are pending at the courts and nothing had been done about the case. Mr. Adam showed a letter, written by the youth of the area, warning personnel of the service to corporate with them or have themselves to blame, adding that �they also asked the GIS to allow them form a task force or watch dog committee to monitor those entering or leaving through their posts.� He appealed to the government for more logistics to enable them to discharge their duties efficiently and efficiently. The Chief Revenue Officer Operations of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Service Mr. Mate Kojo, said the nature of the area called for the construction of an access road just like the Togolese have for effective patrolling.