The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has demanded the immediate removal of heads of key state institutions responsible for Ghana's ports, maritime security, narcotics control, intelligence, and customs operations. This call follows the interception of a major cocaine shipment linked to Ghana. The party's National Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B, made the call at an NPP press conference on Tuesday, September 22.
French customs authorities seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of suspected cocaine at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10. The consignment, concealed in a container carrying plastic waste, had arrived from Ghana and was estimated to be worth about €225 million. The seizure has triggered scrutiny of how the shipment allegedly passed through Ghana's export and port security processes without being detected.
Nana B said the scale of the incident required immediate accountability at the leadership level. He argued that officials overseeing institutions along the chain through which the shipment passed should be removed. Nana B listed several institutional heads he said should be removed, including the Director-General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and the Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority.
The NPP National Organiser also called for the removal of the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority, the Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), and his deputies. Nana B further accused the government of shielding officials whose institutions are implicated in the security chain and called for decisive action to restore confidence in Ghana's anti-narcotics systems.
Nana B's comments were in response to Interior Minister Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka's disclosure that foreign security counterparts were becoming hesitant to share intelligence with Ghanaian agencies. Muntaka cited concerns over insider leaks. Nana B said this statement alone should have triggered Muntaka's removal or resignation.
The NPP's demand for the removal of institutional heads is part of a broader call for accountability and action against drug trafficking in Ghana. The party has expressed concerns over the country's growing involvement in international drug trafficking and the need for a proactive approach to address the issue.
The seizure of the cocaine shipment has sparked a national conversation about the effectiveness of Ghana's anti-narcotics systems and the need for reforms. The NPP's call for the removal of institutional heads is likely to add to the pressure on the government to take decisive action against officials implicated in the scandal.
Key points
- The NPP demands the immediate removal of institutional heads responsible for Ghana's ports, maritime security, narcotics control, intelligence, and customs operations.
- A 3.9-tonne cocaine shipment linked to Ghana was seized by French customs authorities at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10.
- The NPP's call for accountability is part of a broader effort to address Ghana's growing involvement in international drug trafficking.
