On September 29, 2026, Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin ruled inadmissible a Private Member's Motion seeking a parliamentary inquiry into a series of major narcotics seizures involving consignments linked to Ghana. The decision was made during an emergency sitting of Parliament, which was recalled from recess amid calls for scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the seizures.
The motion, filed by the First Deputy Minority Whip and Member of Parliament for Tolon, Habib Iddrisu, sought the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to examine the matters. However, Bagbin stated that he had carefully examined the substance of the motion, its proposed terms of reference, ongoing investigations, and pending judicial proceedings.
Bagbin's assessment revealed substantial factual similarities between the matters the proposed parliamentary committee intended to investigate and issues already before the courts. He expressed concerns that the parliamentary inquiry could require lawmakers to scrutinize transactions, evaluate the conduct of individuals and institutions involved, and determine the reasons behind particular decisions taken or resisted at Ghana's ports and other points of entry and exit.
The Speaker further raised concerns that permitting the parliamentary process to continue could prejudice the interests of parties involved in ongoing court proceedings. He therefore concluded that the motion could not be allowed to proceed in its existing form and invoked the relevant provisions of Parliament's Standing Orders to formally rule the motion inadmissible.
The motion was introduced against the backdrop of heightened concern over several significant narcotics interceptions involving consignments connected to Ghana. One of the incidents cited was the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of suspected cocaine at the French port of Dunkirk on September 10, 2026, from a container that had departed Ghana.
The proposed parliamentary investigation sought to examine how consignments were processed, inspected, and cleared before leaving Ghana, including scanning arrangements, physical inspections, intelligence profiling, and the involvement of relevant companies and state institutions. It also called for scrutiny of security infrastructure at Ghana's ports, airports, and other entry and exit points.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo Markin has rejected the Speaker's reasoning and challenged the basis upon which the motion was dismissed. The ruling means that the proposed inquiry will not proceed to the committee stage in its current form, despite the Minority petitioning for the House to examine the narcotics seizures and their implications for Ghana's security and border control systems.
Key points
- The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, ruled inadmissible a motion for parliamentary inquiry into major narcotics seizures linked to Ghana.
- The motion was filed by Habib Iddrisu and sought to examine the circumstances surrounding the seizures and the processes through which consignments were handled at Ghanaian ports.
- Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo Markin has challenged the Speaker's ruling, rejecting the basis on which the motion was dismissed.
