Former Deputy Defence Minister Kofi Amankwa-Manu has called for the recall of Parliament to enable lawmakers to hold an in-depth discussion on Ghana’s growing drug trafficking concerns.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, the former Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee said the scale of the problem required a coordinated national response involving Parliament and the country’s security agencies.
“This is a worrying thing which has to be tackled holistically,” he said.
Mr Amankwa-Manu said Parliament should focus on strengthening intelligence sharing among security agencies as part of efforts to combat drug trafficking.
“At tomorrow’s meeting, let me dare say that one thing I really want to see happen is the strengthening of the efficient and effective sharing of intelligence amongst all the security agencies, especially with regards to this fight against drug trafficking,” he said.
He said Parliament could contribute through stronger oversight and closer collaboration with the security agencies.
“I will want to approach the leadership of Parliament to really bring Parliament back for us to have an in-depth discussion in helping the government to fight this canker,” he said.
Asked whether he was specifically calling for Parliament to be recalled over the issue, Mr Amankwa-Manu responded: “Yes, I want to recall.”
He argued that the issue affected Ghana’s image and required a collective national response.
“If we can have a recall just to appoint a few people, this is an issue affecting the image and the country as a whole, and it is important that we all put our shoulders to the wheel to find a solution to this problem,” he said.
His call comes amid a series of major drug-related cases involving Ghana in recent months.
In August, the Tema Regional Police Command intercepted 866 parcels of suspected cocaine concealed in sacks of gari, with an estimated street value of US$6.9 million. Three people were arrested in connection with the seizure.
In June, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) began investigations into the seizure in Australia of about 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine allegedly shipped from Ghana.
More recently, French Customs seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine from a container that had arrived from Ghana. NACOC subsequently arrested three suspects over alleged links to the network.
On Wednesday, two suspects were also remanded in Wa after 192 compressed wraps of cocaine were intercepted during an intelligence-led operation.
Against this backdrop, Mr Amankwa-Manu said Parliament’s relevant committees could begin by examining the drug trafficking situation and assessing the measures being taken by the security agencies.
“We have committees. We have committees, and the Committee for Defence and Interior, and then the Committee on Security and Intelligence,” he said.
He said the committees could conduct an initial assessment before presenting their findings to the full House for further discussion.
“But after the committee is done its work, it has to come to plenary for others to also add their voices so that we can then send whatever we need to assist government in the fight against this canker,” he said.
Mr Amankwa-Manu stressed the need for urgent action as Ghana faces increasing drug trafficking cases.
“Because it is getting out of hand, and the earlier something drastic and something major is done, the better it will be for the country,” he said.
