Mahama orders security agencies to make Ghana’s ports ‘ironclad’ against drug trafficking

President John Mahama has directed security agencies to bolster Ghana's ports against drug trafficking, according to a government spokesperson. The directive comes in response to concerns that drug consignments are being smuggled out of Ghana and intercepted in foreign waters. President Mahama convened an emergency meeting of security agencies two weeks ago to address vulnerabilities in the country's ports, emphasizing the need to make them secure enough to prevent such activities.

This move follows a Minority motion seeking to recall Parliament to discuss the growing concerns over Ghana being labeled a "cocaine coast" or a drug transit hub. Minority spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu rejected the term, arguing that isolated drug-related arrests by the police and the Narcotics Control Commission do not automatically indicate that Ghana is becoming a trafficking hub.

Ofosu acknowledged that some consignments slip through security checks and are intercepted abroad, expressing concern over these incidents. He noted that at the emergency meeting, one of the key issues identified was the rivalry among agencies operating at the ports, who were competing for supremacy and not sharing information effectively.

President Mahama has ordered the agencies to end this turf battle, share information, and collaborate to ensure that Ghana's ports are "ironclad" and not become a transit point for drug trafficking. The deadline for the agencies to submit a roadmap outlining their actions to achieve this goal is due to expire within days.