The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ghana has escalated pressure on President John Mahama's government, demanding the removal of heads of key state institutions over the country's growing cocaine trafficking crisis. At a press conference on September 22, NPP National Organiser Henry Nana Boakye called for the immediate removal of officials responsible for Ghana's ports, maritime security, narcotics control, intelligence, and customs operations. He accused the administration of complicity in the trafficking.
The NPP's demands follow a major cocaine shipment linked to Ghana that was intercepted by French customs at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10. The shipment, valued at about €225 million, was concealed in a container of plastic waste shipped from Ghana. Four people have been charged in connection with the seizure. The NPP also referenced an earlier seizure of 866 parcels of suspected cocaine at Tema Harbour on August 5.
Boakye alleged that Ghana has become a major transit point for illicit drugs due to the complicity of officials at the country's ports and airports. He claimed that clandestine laboratories have been established in Ghana to process narcotics for export and accused officials of directly assisting drug networks. The NPP also invoked President Mahama's economic slogan, pointing out that the country was not meant to be a hub for cocaine trafficking.
The NPP's allegations were backed by the party's General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, who called on President Mahama to scrutinise his own appointees. Frimpong suggested that large cocaine consignments could not pass through the ports and airports without raising questions about oversight. He alleged that there are people in higher authorities behind the trafficking and that the party would keep up pressure until the right measures are taken.
In response to the NPP's demands, President Mahama has directed an inter-agency task force to review Ghana's systems for detecting and preventing drug trafficking at its borders. The task force has been given two weeks to submit a roadmap of measures. The President has also directed that the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) be reinstated in joint container inspection operations at the ports.
Not everyone has echoed the NPP's framing of the issue. Some commentators, including MP Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, have called for a united, non-partisan fight against drug trafficking rather than political point-scoring. The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has urged the NPP to share any intelligence it holds with the relevant authorities rather than making allegations from a podium.
The government's efforts to tackle the crisis are ongoing, with a focus on strengthening systems for detecting and preventing drug trafficking. The opposition's pressure is likely to continue, with the NPP demanding stronger action against officials accused of complicity in the trafficking. The issue has sparked a heated debate about the government's handling of the crisis and the need for a more effective approach.
Key points
- The NPP has demanded the removal of heads of key state institutions over Ghana's growing cocaine trafficking crisis.
- President Mahama has directed an inter-agency task force to review Ghana's systems for detecting and preventing drug trafficking.
- The opposition's pressure has sparked a debate about the government's handling of the crisis and the need for a more effective approach.
