Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Chief Executive Officer, Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi, has welcomed President John Dramani Mahama’s directive to restore the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to the list of agencies authorised to inspect Ghana’s ports.
Mr Gyamfi said the move would strengthen efforts to detect and prevent the trafficking of narcotics through the country’s ports and other points of entry and exit.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, he expressed concern over a recent drug seizure in another jurisdiction in which the consignment was reportedly traced to one of Ghana’s ports.
According to him, the development raised concerns about the effectiveness of monitoring and inspection systems at Ghana’s ports.
He noted that NACOC, as the institution mandated to monitor, regulate, enforce and control narcotics trafficking, was removed from the list of port inspection agencies in June 2018.
“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,” Mr Gyamfi stated.
He welcomed President Mahama’s reported directive for NACOC to be restored to the list of port inspection agencies, with unrestricted access to all entry and exit points by air, land and sea.
Mr Gyamfi, who said he had previously worked with Major General Maxwell Obuba Manthey-led NACOC in efforts to combat gold smuggling, expressed confidence that the Commission could help address the narcotics trafficking challenge with the necessary support.
He also said he understood that the President had directed for scanners and personnel at the country’s ports to be changed with immediate effect.
Mr Gyamfi said the measures, if effectively implemented, would strengthen checks and controls at Ghana’s ports and help prevent a recurrence of drug trafficking incidents.
Story By: Eric Boateng
