Toobu rejects calls to recall Parliament over 3.9-tonne cocaine shipment

Parliament’s Vice Chairman and Wa West MP Peter Lanchene Toobu has dismissed calls for an immediate recall to investigate the nearly 3.9-tonne cocaine shipment linked to Ghana. Minority MPs in Parliament had petitioned Speaker Alban Bagbin to recall the House, citing urgent national security concerns necessitating parliamentary oversight.

However, Toobu argued during a Citi FM interview on September 19 that recalling Parliament would not necessarily enhance oversight due to the existing oversight responsibilities of relevant parliamentary committees. He stated that the Defence and Interior, Transport, and Trade and Industry committees already had relevant oversight duties and could address the matter without calling a full House recall.

Toobu emphasized that effective parliamentary oversight should focus on scrutinizing policies, budgeting processes, and institutional operations rather than reacting after a crisis. He also advocated for the government to focus on rectifying systemic weaknesses in the response to drug trafficking rather than just removing individuals from office.

Toobu supported creating a broader framework to improve coordination among security agencies in tackling drug trafficking. This comes after President John Dramani Mahama formed an inter-agency task force to develop a roadmap for preventing drug trafficking through Ghana's borders, with two weeks to submit recommendations following an urgent meeting between the President, security chiefs, and relevant ministers.

Ten individuals, including four Customs Division officers from the Ghana Revenue Authority, are currently under investigation.