G.I.S. ACADEMY AND TRAINING SCHOOL (ISATS) ANTHEM
Raise high Immigration Academy
And Training School flag,
One with friendship and vigilance of hope
And honour,
To all who thirst for leadership qualities,
Where banner of excellence free flies
May the way
To friendship
And vigilance truly lie
Arise Ghana Immigration
Academy and Training School
And under God march on for ever more (2X)
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE IMMIGRATION SERVICE ACADEMY AND TRAINING SCHOOL
In 1998, the Immigration Service Academy and Training School (ISATS) was established by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to provide professional training and produce knowledgeable Officers to carry out its mandate of ensuring effective administration and management of migration in the country and contribute to national security.
This was after years of reliance on Sister Security Agencies – Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, Prisons Service and Fire Service – to trained Officers for the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).
ISATS establishment was during the tenure of the former Director of Immigration, the late Commissioner of Police (COP) W.K. Aboah who acquired two road camps from the Assin Traditional Authorities.
It was subsequently commissioned on 21st December, 2001 by the late Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Alhaji Aliu Mahama who also reviewed the Graduation Parade of the fifth batch of Officer Cadets trained by the Immigration Service Academy.
The ISATS is made up of Two (2) Schools: the Immigration Service Academy (ISA) and the Immigration Service Training School (ISTS). The ISA trains Senior Officers for the GIS and has turned out Nine (9) Cadet Intakes and Four (4) Courses whereas the ISTS which trains Junior Officers for the GIS has turned out Twenty-Two Recruit Intakes. The ISTS also undertakes several Refresher Courses and Promotional Examinations for serving Junior Officers of the Ghana Immigration Service that are due for promotion.
Both schools have successfully trained personnel of Ghana’s Narcotics Control Board as well as Cadets and Recruits of Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) of the Republic of Liberia. This has projected the GIS and for that matter the ISATS to International Standard and recognition.
The Immigration Service Academy and the Immigration Service Training School are under the command of the Commandant and the Commanding Officer respectively. The Commandant also has a supervisory role over the Immigration Service Training School (ISTS).
The ISATS has since its establishment had Six Commandants and Seven Commanding Officers.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Retired, Mr. Acquah-Adubah was the first Commandant of ISATS. He was succeeded by Major (Rtd.) M.K. Agordekpe who handed over to Comptroller of Immigration (COI) Isaac Oklu Luortey. COI Isaac Oklu Luortey is the first immigration career Officer to have headed the ISATS. He handed over to COI Justice Amevor who was succeeded by Chief Superintendent of Immigration (CSI) Experience K. Blewuada. CSI Alex Adu is the current Commandant of the ISATS.
Assistant Director of Immigration (ADI) Alfred Wuddah was the first Commanding Officer of the Immigration Service Training School (ISTS). Deputy Superintendent of Immigration (DSI) Felix Sarpong took over from him and was succeeded by DSI Fred Doudu. Major (Rtd.) Matthew K. Oppong, Assistant Comptroller of Immigration (ACOI) Justice Amevor and CSI Felix Agyeman-Bosompem took turns to head ISTS in that order. Supt. Kwabena Addai Koduah is the current Commanding Officer.
COMMANDANT OF THE IMMIGRATION SERVICE ACADEMY AND TRAINING SCHOOL (ISATS)
Chief Superintendent of Immigration (CSI) Alex Adu was born on 13th February 1972 and hails from Dadieso in the Western Region of Ghana.
He started his second cycle education at Asankwangwa Secondary School in the Western Region from 1987 – 1990 and continued to the Fijai Secondary School in the same Region from 1990 – 1991 to obtain his General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level).
He proceeded to the T.I. Ahmadiyya Secondary School in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region for his Sixth Form Studies from 1992 – 1994, and obtained the General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level).
He gained admission into the University of Ghana in the year 1997 and graduated with Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in the year 2000.
CSI Alex Adu was enlisted into the Ghana Immigration Service in 2001 and commissioned as Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (ASI) on 14th February 2002 with Aflao Sector Command being his first duty post.
In 2006, as part of the introduction of the Border Patrol concept of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), he underwent training in leadership, teamwork and confidence building at the Asutuare Military training Camp of the Ghana Armed Forces. He also holds a Masters’ Degree in Economic Policy Management from the University of Ghana.
Among the key appointments he has held are the following:
Shift Supervisor, Aflao Sector Command
Staff Officer, Ashanti Regional Command
Border Patrol Commander, Tema Regional Command
Officer-In-Charge of Border Patrol Unit, GIS Headquarters
Head of Enforcement and Intelligence Unit of the Volta Regional Command
He has attended several immigration career courses which have made him a professional trainer. He has trained a lot of Immigration Officers on intelligence gathering, Border Patrol related issues, Legal Handbook of the GIS among others.
Between, 2009 – 2010, he served in the United Nations Mission in Liberia as an Immigration Expert to the Liberia Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization.
Until his recent appointment as the Commandant of the Immigration Service Academy and Training School (ISATS), he was the Second-In-hierarchy of the Volta Regional Command. CSI Alex Adu is married and has four children. He is a Christian and his hobbies are listening to music, reading, playing indoor games and driving.
COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE IMMIGRATION SERVICE TRAINING SCHOOL (ISTS)
Superintendent (Supt.) of Immigration Kwabena Addai Koduah was born on 15th January 1980. He had his Basic Education at the Cambridge International School before gaining admission into St. Augustine’s College in 1996.
On obtaining his Secondary Education Certificate he proceeded to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology for his tertiary education from 2000 to 2004, and obtained Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with Statistics. He also holds an Executive Masters’ Degree in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the Gamey and Gamey Institute (GGI).
He was enlisted into the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in February, 2006 and commissioned as an Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (ASI) in June the same year. He was first posted to the Half Assini Border Post in the Western Region.
Among the key appointments he has held are the following:
Shift Leader, Tema Regional Command
Border Patrol Commander, Half Assini
Second-In-Command, Nkwanta Sector Command
Deputy Shift Supervisor, Kotoka International Airport (KIA) Sector Command
Officer-In-Charge of Welfare, Kotoka International Airport (KIA) Sector Command
It was during his tenure as the Officer-In-Charge of the Samenye in-land barrier post in the Western Region that the in-land barrier post was established. From 2010 to 2013 he served as the Second-In-Command of the Nkwanta Sector of the Service.
In this appointment, he Initiated and acquired a new office for the Service at the Nkwanta South District Assembly. He also saw to the erection of a structured shed to serve as a border post on an unapproved route at Dadiase under the Nkwanta Sector Command.
He has attended several leadership, immigration and paramilitary courses, notable among them are:
Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) – Initial – Category 6 at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Accra
Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System (PISCES) at the Document Fraud and Expertise Centre of the Ghana Immigration Service
Anti-Human Trafficking techniques in Accra
Leadership, Teamwork and Confidence Building at the Asutuare Military Camp of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Supt. Kwabena Addai Koduah is the Commanding Officer of the Immigration Service Training School (ISTS) at Assin Foso in the Central Region. His ultimate vision is to build upon the foundation of his predecessors, to make ISTS a Centre of Excellence which produces well-disciplined, dependable and reliable Junior Officers for the Ghana Immigration Service to effectively man the borders of Ghana. He is married and loves watching boxing.
