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Customs officials at Elubo deny challenges with ICUMS
Customs officials at the Elubo land border- one out Ghana’s six land borders – have denied claims of challenges faced by the use of Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) in processing and releasing cargo vehicles into the country.
Media reports indicate that dozens of vehicles are seen parked behind the Elubo border and are unable to be processed for entry into Ghana due to some challenges encountered by the newly deployed ICUMS at the land borders.
A member of the Trade and Finance Committee of Parliament, Mr Isaac Adongo, in a media interaction showed a video portraying the hurdles importers go through in clearing their goods using the ICUMS, and said that affirmed the defects of the new system.
However, a Customs Long Room official at Elubo, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the vehicles parked behind the border had nothing to do with the use of the ICUMS.
“It is not unusual to see cars parked behind the border, it happens occasionally. Cars are parked on the no man’s land between Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana a lot of time for many reasons. These vehicles are allowed to park behind the border awaiting documentations. It has nothing to do with the ICUMS,” the official said.
The Custom official further asserted that, “the processing of documents for early release of vehicles into the country known as Compliance was now being done at the headquarters of the Customs Division because the GCNET system is not working again, as many of these guys processed their BOEs in that system. This means we at the boarder cannot process those old BOEs unless the head office hence the delay”.
The official said the only challenge they faced was the approval of their documents from the headquarters.
“Previously the approval and compliance was done by us at the Long room here and that speeds up the job, but now that the old system is off and the compliance has to be done at the headquarters hence the delay in processing and releasing the vehicles. But with ICUMS, everything is going on well,” he noted.
Some drivers who spoke on the issue gave various reasons for their parking there which had nothing to do with the ICUMS.
Ibrahim Sani said they were waiting for their agents from the Ivorian side to complete declaration processes to enable them to enter Abidjan as they had completed their processes from the Ghanaian side.
Another driver, Emmanuel Asante said the agent was waiting to receive funds from the importer to pay for the duties required which would then enable customs to allow them into Ghana.
ICUMS last week in the first four days registered some 1,452 transactions at the land frontiers and out of this, 408 were direct imports into home use, 900 Temporary Vehicle Imports, 34 warehouses, 20 transit and nine Free Zones.
The source at the Customs Long Room at Elubo, said every transaction done in ICUMS including TVI is issued with their required certificate, stressing, “For the avoidance of doubt, a TVI certificate is generated and given to the driver, which is verifiable.”
Source: Ghanaian Times
Ahyiresu and Abofrem, two quiet communities in the Atwima Mponua District, have been shaken to the core by a chilling midnight drama that reads like a nightmare.
A pastor and a young mother stand accused of attempting to bury a five‑month‑old baby girl alive, a crime that has ignited outrage and disbelief across the township.
According to police, Apostle Richmond Akwasi Frimpong, 36, Head Pastor of the Anointed Grace Prayer Ministry at Kuffour Camp, conspired with his uncle Emmanuel Appiah, 53, and the child’s mother, 23‑year‑old Beatrice Agyapomaa, to dispose of the infant, Anaya Achiaa, under the cover of darkness.
A fourth suspect, Emmanuel Donkor, remains on the run.
The suspects were caught near a refuse dump around 10 pm on April 9, 2026, after a vigilant resident, Akwasi Twezor, noticed their suspicious movements.
When confronted, they claimed the child was already dead and had palace approval for burial. But Twezor’s instincts proved right—the baby was still alive, gasping faintly for breath.
Chief Linguist, Nana Yaw Badu, later confirmed that Frimpong had misled him earlier in the evening, securing permission for burial by falsely declaring the child dead.
The infant was rushed to the Abofrem Clinic, where she is now responding well to treatment. Police described her as “very beautiful.”
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evelyn Yitamkey, Commander of DOVVSU in Bibiani, confirmed that the suspects have been provisionally charged.
Frimpong faces attempted murder and conspiracy charges, while Agyapomaa and Appiah are charged with conspiracy and abetment.
They were remanded by the Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Frank Asiedu Nimako, to assist investigations.
The docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice, ASP Yitamkey indicated.
The attempted crime has provoked fury among residents, many suspecting ritual motives aimed at bolstering the pastor’s influence.
Crowds attempted to attack the suspects outside court, but police intervention prevented mob justice.
The Assembly Member for Ahyiresu, Yusuf Suleiman, has assured residents that justice will be pursued swiftly.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
The forecourt of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) in Accra came alive on Friday with colour, creativity and innovation, as Level 300 students transformed the space into a lively exhibition of ideas.
Under the theme “Building meaningful brands beyond the logo,” the students invited patrons into a world where ordinary products were reimagined through storytelling, design and purpose.
From scented candles to innovative food concepts, each stand told a unique story, one that went beyond aesthetics to capture identity, value and human connection.
For many of the students, the event was more than just an academic exercise; it was a moment to dream out loud.
Guided by their lecturer, Peter Wonders, they explored what it truly means to build a brand in today’s competitive world where trust, consistency and experience matter just as much as logos and slogans.
Chairman of the occasion, Nana Kum Gyata VI, in his remarks said a brand is what people say about you when you are not present.
At the end of the presentations, awards were presented to deserving groups with Vida Nyaneba emerging as the overall best branding student.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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