The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) and National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has welcomed President John Dramani Mahama’s directive to restore the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to Ghana’s port inspection regime.
The directive, according to Mr Gyamfi, will strengthen surveillance and inspection at the country’s entry and exit points following a recent drug seizure in another jurisdiction, where the consignment was reportedly traced to one of Ghana’s ports.
Expressing concern over the development, Mr Gyamfi said the incident highlights the need for stronger monitoring systems to prevent Ghana’s ports from being used as channels for the movement of narcotics.
“Like all patriotic Ghanaians, I am deeply concerned about the recent report of a drug bust in another jurisdiction, the origin of which was traced to one of Ghana’s ports,” he said.
Mr Gyamfi questioned the decision to remove NACOC from the list of Port Inspection Agencies in June 2018, noting that the commission is mandated to monitor, regulate, enforce and control activities relating to narcotics trafficking in Ghana.
“It is therefore intriguing, that the NACOC was completely removed from the list of Port Inspection Agencies by government in June 2018,” he stated.
Although he said the reasons for the 2018 decision remained unclear, Mr Gyamfi argued that the move weakened NACOC’s ability to carry out its specialised narcotics-control functions at the country’s ports.
“While it is unclear what may have informed that decision in 2018, it is evident that the said decision weakened NACOC’s port inspection function and denied them the ability to detect and prevent drug trafficking through the country’s port of entry and exit,” he said.
He stressed that the involvement of NACOC personnel in port inspections was important because of the commission’s specialised mandate in combating narcotics trafficking.
Mr Gyamfi said he is encouraged by President Mahama’s decision to immediately restore NACOC to the list of Port Inspection Agencies.
Under the reported directive, NACOC is also expected to have access to all entry and exit points, including those by air, land and sea.
“It is therefore refreshing to learn that President Mahama has directed that effective immediately, NACOC be restored to the list of Port Inspection Agencies and granted unfettered access to all entry and exit points; by air, land and sea,” he said.
According to Mr Gyamfi, the move could enhance Ghana’s capacity to detect and prevent attempts to traffic illicit drugs through the country.
The GoldBod CEO also cited his previous engagement with NACOC, saying he had worked closely with the commission under the leadership of Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey in efforts to combat gold smuggling.
Drawing on that experience, he expressed confidence in the commission’s ability to contribute to stronger port controls if provided with the necessary institutional and logistical support.
“As someone, who has closely worked with the Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey-led NACOC in fighting gold-smuggling, I am confident that with the necessary support, the NACOC will succeed in stemming this tide,” he said.
Mr Gyamfi further disclosed that President Mahama had directed changes to be made to scanners and personnel at the country’s ports with immediate effect.
“I also understand that the President has directed that all scanners and personnel at our ports be changed, effective immediately,” he added.
Mr Gyamfi stressed that the success of the measures would depend largely on their effective implementation.
He said restoring NACOC to the port inspection framework, together with changes to scanners and personnel, could strengthen checks and controls and help prevent the recurrence of incidents involving narcotics allegedly passing through Ghana’s ports.
“I believe that these measures, if implemented effectively, will strengthen checks and control at our ports to forestall the reccurrence of these unfortunate incidents,” he stated.
His comments come amid renewed scrutiny of Ghana’s port security and inspection systems following reports of a drug seizure abroad involving a consignment reportedly linked to Ghana.
The development has also renewed attention to the role of specialised agencies such as NACOC in preventing Ghana’s ports and other entry and exit points from being exploited for illicit drug trafficking.
By 1960news.com
