The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, has voiced strong support for President John Dramani Mahama’s immediate directive restoring the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to the official list of Port Inspection Agencies.
The government’s action follows a major drug bust in a foreign jurisdiction, where investigators traced the origins of the contraband to a Ghanaian port. The incident raised urgent questions regarding the security integrity and oversight mechanisms operating at the nation’s entry and exit points.
Reacting to the developments, Mr Gyamfi noted that the breach exposed critical vulnerabilities in border oversight.
“Like all patriotic Ghanaians, I am deeply concerned about the recent report of a drug bust in another jurisdiction, the origin of which was traced to one of Ghana’s ports,” Gyamfi stated. “Clearly, these incidents could have only been occasioned by weak monitoring and inspection systems at our ports.”
Highlighting the regulatory background, the Gold Board Chief expressed concern over the 2018 decision that stripped NACOC of its frontline port inspection duties.
“In Ghana, the body mandated to monitor, regulate, enforce and control the trafficking of narcotics is the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC). It is therefore intriguing, that the NACOC was completely removed from the list of Port Inspection Agencies by government in June 2018,” he noted.
He added: “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 and denied them the ability to detect and prevent drug trafficking through the country’s port of entry and exit.”
To reverse the situation, President Mahama ordered the immediate reinstatement of NACOC with full, unrestricted access across air, land, and sea borders, alongside a complete replacement of port scanners and personnel.
Welcoming the executive directives, Mr Gyamfi expressed optimism in NACOC’s leadership, drawing from joint efforts in tackling illegal gold exports.
“It is therefore refreshing to learn that President Mahama has directed that effective immediately, NACOC be restored to the list of Port Inspection Agencies and granted unfettered access to all entry and exit points; by air, land and sea,” Gyamfi remarked. “As someone, who has closely worked with the Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey-led NACOC in fighting gold-smuggling, I am confident that with the necessary support, the NACOC will succeed in stemming this tide.”
He concluded that the measures, including the overhaul of port security equipment and staff, would bolster national security and protect the country’s international standing if strictly enforced.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
