News
Dealing with drug abuse among youth… PCG calls for renewed, collaborative intervention to curb menace
The Presbyterian Church of Ghana has raised alarm over the spate of drug abuse among the youth, describing the situation as a ‘ticking time bomb’ that requires immediate and collaborative intervention.
It said the infiltration of drugs into educational institutions was becoming increasingly alarming, with reports of drug peddling at the basic, secondary and tertiary levels which threatens the future of students.
The church gave the caution in a communiqué issued at its just ended 26th General Assembly held at Abetifi-Kwahu in the Eastern region.
The assembly, which is the highest decision-making body of the Church, was held on the theme: ‘Celebrating our heritage: Building on the foundation already laid.’
It had in attendance commissioners and representatives from all presbyteries and courts of the church, government officials, ecumenical partner churches, among other dignitaries.
According to the Church, the substance abuse crises was dire in informal settlements across the country with the misuse of marijuana, the street drug known as ‘kush’, as well as substances such as ‘Red’, which it identified as containing Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, and Tramadol, wasting away many young people.
It said although the Ghana Blue Cross, a substance abuse focused non-profit organisation within the PCG, had been involved in efforts to combat the menace for more than 120 years, it indicated that the changing nature and persistence of the phenomenon called for renewed and decisive action.
The PCG urged that the threat is not treated just as a social or health concern but as a matter of national security, given its potential impact on the country’s young population and future workforce.
It called for strict monitoring of the cultivation and processing of therapeutic cannabis and industrial hemp permitted in Ghana for medicinal purposes, cautioning that the initiative should not be allowed to create another avenue for the proliferation of illicit drugs.
Moreover, it urged the Ghana Police Service, religious organisations and other civic stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and establish a unified stand against the growing drug menace to particularly protect young people.
By Abigail Annoh
National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Executive Committee member and Volta River Authority (VRA) Board Member, Wonder Victor Kutor, has described calls for the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as premature and unjustified.
He argued that there was no evidence to establish that the minister had committed any wrongdoing to warrant such demands.
Speaking on Joy News in Accra on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Mr Kutor questioned what had changed to justify the growing calls for the minister to step down.
He recalled that the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had earlier indicated that the opposition was not accusing Mr Ablakwa of any wrongdoing.
Mr Kutor, therefore, challenged those demanding the minister’s resignation to provide fresh evidence to support their position.
“The call for the Minister to resign is premature, it is untenable. There is no evidence. I mean, what has he done wrong?” he questioned.
He added that documents, including boarding passes, airline receipts and flight manifests relating to the minister’s return journey, had been provided.
Mr Kutor expressed concern that the calls for Mr Ablakwa’s resignation could discourage young politicians from speaking out against corruption and advocating transparency.
According to him, politicians should not be targeted or maligned for demanding accountability, warning that such treatment could create the impression that speaking against corruption could later become a liability when one is appointed to public office.
He maintained that calling for accountability and transparency should not be used as grounds to target public officials without evidence of wrongdoing.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana will host the Africa Festival of Arts, Culture and Creatives (AFESTAC) 2026 alongside Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA) 2026 in Accra from December 9 to 12, 2026.
On the back of these programmes, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on corporate Ghana, the media and the general public to support the initiative through partnerships, sponsorships and active participation.
The events, supported by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), will bring together stakeholders to celebrate Africa’s rich cultural heritage, strengthen the creative economy, promote industrial skills development and create employment opportunities for young people.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
