President John Dramani Mahama has reportedly taken a firm stance against the growing cocaine trafficking concerns involving Ghana, directing that all lapses contributing to the use of the country’s ports for narcotics trafficking be addressed.
Government Communications Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said the President was “very, very serious” about the drug trafficking problem and had made it clear that Ghana must not become a transit point for narcotics.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express, Mr Ofosu said President Mahama had directed a comprehensive examination of the circumstances surrounding recent cocaine cases and expected a report within two weeks of issuing the directive.
“Indeed, the President was clear that he will not tolerate Ghana’s borders becoming a transit point for drug trafficking,” he said.
According to him, the report would contain information suitable for public disclosure, while portions involving intelligence and measures to strengthen security systems would be handled appropriately.
He said the President’s directive was intended not only to establish what had gone wrong but also to introduce reforms to prevent Ghana’s ports from being exploited for illicit drug trafficking.
Mr Ofosu acknowledged that the situation was worrying, particularly following reports linking Ghana to significant volumes of cocaine passing through international ports.
He said the government did not want Ghana’s name associated with the international narcotics trade and had consequently engaged international partners to strengthen cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking.
He disclosed that President Mahama had also used his recent participation in the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the matter with international partners.
‘NO ONE WILL BE SPARED’
Mr Ofosu said the President’s determination to deal with the problem extended to officials whose actions or omissions might have contributed to the breaches.
He said an investigation was already underway and that any person found culpable would be held accountable, regardless of their position.
“Once information and evidence becomes available, they will be held accountable,” he said.
He cited the arrest of four Customs officials in connection with a cocaine case as evidence that investigations were not being limited to outsiders.
According to him, one of the officials arrested was a supervisor responsible for processes that should have resulted in the screening of material that subsequently left the port.
Mr Ofosu, however, said the government would not dismiss officials merely on the basis of allegations before investigations established responsibility.
He maintained that President Mahama had demonstrated his willingness to take action against senior officials when investigations revealed serious lapses.
‘STOP POLITICAL THEATRE’
The government spokesperson also pushed back strongly against criticism from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the cocaine cases.
He accused the opposition of engaging in what he described as “political theatre and masquerade” instead of contributing to efforts to address the problem.
Mr Ofosu said the government was particularly concerned about what he described as false claims that cocaine-manufacturing laboratories existed in Ghana.
He said the claim had been repeatedly circulated by opposition figures before being subsequently described as a metaphor.
According to him, such claims did not help the country’s efforts to combat narcotics trafficking.
He also cited the MV Benjamin case, saying external intelligence agencies had previously alerted Ghanaian authorities that a vessel carrying cocaine was heading towards Ghana, but the shipment nevertheless found its way into the country.
He said the incident demonstrated that the current concerns were not unprecedented and that the appropriate response should be to strengthen Ghana’s security and port-control systems.
‘MAHAMA TO CLAMP DOWN ON DRUG TRAFFICKING”
Mr Ofosu insisted that President Mahama was determined to clamp down on drug trafficking and would act when investigations established wrongdoing.
“I understand that drug trafficking is a major issue. President Mahama is dead against it and is determined to clamp down on it,” he said.
He said the President’s position was that the fight against narcotics must be pursued “no matter what it takes” and irrespective of whose interests might be affected.
Mr Ofosu said the government would therefore await the outcome of the investigations before taking further disciplinary action against officials whose conduct was found to have contributed to the cocaine cases.
He said the reforms at the ports would also address identified weaknesses in human resources, procedures and equipment, adding that the government was determined to prevent a recurrence.
