The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has expressed concern over the recent increase in drug seizures abroad linked to Ghana, stating that the country's reputation built over generations is being lost in a few years. At a press conference in Accra on November 4, 2026, the Second National Vice Chairman of the NPP, Henry Nana Boakye, highlighted that the recurring interception of cocaine abroad traced to Ghana is no longer just a law enforcement problem but a national image crisis.
According to Mr. Boakye, between March 2025 and October 2026, there were 14 major drug busts, with cocaine seized abroad carrying an estimated street value of between $1.3 billion and $1.7 billion. The seizures took place in various countries, including Amsterdam, Antwerp, Beirut, and Dunkirk, with a total of nearly 4,500 kilograms of cocaine and other illicit substances seized.
The NPP has raised concerns that the damage caused by these seizures is being felt by ordinary Ghanaians, with honest travelers and exporters facing extra suspicion at foreign airports and ports. Mr. Boakye warned that cocaine trafficking also brings other problems, including guns, money laundering, and corruption, which could lead to violence and instability in the country.
The NPP has demanded that President John Mahama take immediate action, including the sacking of the heads of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), and National Security, subject to independent investigation. The party also wants a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry with public hearings and the publication of a roadmap to address the issue.
The NPP also questioned how Musah Attah, known as "Kromo", one of four Ghanaians charged over the Dunkirk case, came to be photographed repeatedly within the close security cordon around President Mahama and Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang. The party wants to know how "Kromo" gained access to the President and Vice President despite being described as a farmer and not a member of any presidential security detail.
The NPP has given President Mahama an ultimatum to publish the missing roadmap within seven days, as well as publication of all diplomatic and service passports issued since January 2025. The party also wants regular updates on the prosecution of "Kromo" and his co-accused, and the suspension of the Tema-Cartagena direct shipping link until a security review is laid before Parliament.
To date, no heads have rolled, despite the 14 major drug busts and the billions of dollars in cocaine seized. The NPP has linked the failure to protect the country's image to President Mahama's own emergency response, which was given two weeks to deliver a roadmap after the Dunkirk seizure, but has yet to be made public.
Key points
- The NPP is demanding the immediate sacking of the heads of NACOC, GACL, GPHA, and National Security.
- The party wants a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry with public hearings into the drug trafficking issue.
- The NPP has given President Mahama an ultimatum to publish the missing roadmap within seven days.
