Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building lauds President Mahama’s intervention in Narcotic Trafficking saga
President John Mahama’s direct intervention in the growing incidence of narcotic trafficking has been lauded in many circles. The Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building is one of the key organisations which welcomes the President’s decision to convene a meeting of the country’s security, intelligence, narcotics-control agencies, as well as customs and ports […]
The Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building has praised President John Mahama's intervention in the escalating issue of narcotic trafficking in Ghana. The centre commends the President for convening a meeting involving security, intelligence, narcotics-control agencies, customs and ports authorities, and other relevant stakeholders.
However, concerns have been raised regarding the country's intelligence, border-control, and port-security systems, with some questioning their proactivity in preventing such drug-related incidents. The centre argues that the frequency and scale of drug seizures necessitate more than just arrests and seizures.
The National Security Coordinator is particularly criticized for not anticipating the threat, suggesting that more decisive action should have been taken earlier. Despite welcoming the President's direct involvement in addressing the issue, the Jatikay Centre raises an important question about how such a serious pattern could develop without earlier intervention from the national security coordination architecture.
To build confidence in the system, the centre recommends changing the key officers responsible for various stages of the security and cargo-control chain and subjecting relevant systems to an independent vulnerability assessment. This suggestion is not seen as an accusation of wrongdoing against any individual, but rather as a necessary step to restore public trust and ensure fresh leadership where vulnerabilities may have emerged.
Adib Saani, the Executive Director of the Jatikay Centre, emphasizes that narcotic trafficking is no longer just a narcotics-control issue. Instead, it has evolved into a national security and institutional integrity challenge. Saani argues that Ghana cannot continue to serve as a logistics hub for transnational organized crime, and therefore, urgent action is required to address the situation decisively.
Written by urgent.news from GBC Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
