The government has established a dedicated special court for the trial of narcotics offences to clear a backlog of cases and restore the credibility of Ghana’s narcotics laws.
Addressing a press conference at Parliament House on Thursday, September 24, 2026, the Majority Leader in Parliament and MP for Builsa North, Hon. James Agalga, announced the judicial reform alongside a massive surge in enforcement operations by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC).
He explained that since March 2025, the administration has embarked on a continuous investment, reform, and expansion programme to strengthen security, recruit and train personnel, and supply essential logistics and forensic tools.
Highlighting the impact of these measures, Hon. Agalga revealed that NACOC recorded 217 arrests across 165 cases in 2025 under President John Dramani Mahama’s government, representing a 197 percent increase compared to the 73 nationwide arrests recorded in 2024.
Pointing to this unprecedented enforcement record, he stressed the government’s commitment to ending reliance on borrowed capacity and institutional afterthought.
The newly established special court will fast-track narcotics prosecutions to systematically eradicate pending cases, deter criminal enterprise, and ensure timely, consistent justice delivery.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the media, what has President Mahama’s government done? This government under H.E. President John Dramani Mahama had the foresight and wisdom to take the decision that Ghana’s narcotics control system was no longer to operate on borrowed capacity and institutional afterthought,” Hon. Agalga said.
“In 2024, NACOC recorded 73 arrests nationwide. 73 arrests nationwide in 2024. Then the commission’s most productive enforcement year on record. So let’s compare the figures. 73 arrests versus 217 arrests across 165 cases. In percentage terms we’re looking at 197 percent increase between the arrests effected in 2024 and the arrests effected in 2025. I mean that speaks volumes.”
On the creation of the specialized tribunal, Hon. Agalga emphasized its practical significance to the justice system. “This isn’t just a symbolic gesture. It means that the backlog of pending narcotics cases that have been accumulating for years can be systematically eradicated,” he stated, adding, “And the credibility of our narcotics laws will be restored by timely and consistent prosecution in our courts.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
