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Minority calls for independent investigation into missing narcotic substance
The Minority in Parliament is demanding an independent investigation into the ‘disappearance’ of whitish substance suspected to be cocaine in the latest arrest of a cache of drugs at Kpoglo near Aflao in the Volta Region.
The substance weighing 100.10 grams was reported missing from the list of suspected illicit drugs and US$200,000 from a syndicate on the Ghana-Togo border on June 5, 2020.
Since then, the Director General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Francis Torkornoo, has blamed the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority for failing to account for the substance.
Speaking with journalists in Parliament, in Accra, yesterday, the Ranking Member on the Defense and Interior Committee of the House and MP for Builsa North, James Agalga, said the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the substance must be established.
“The Minority calls for the immediate setting up of an independent committee of inquiry to establish amongst others, the circumstances under which the cocaine impounded by NACOC and entrusted in the hands of the Customs Division of the GRA disappeared,” he said.
According to Mr Agalga, the Minority was of the considered view that “the lack of synergy amongst the country’s security agencies at our borders mirrors the failure of the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as Chairman of the National Security Council.
“Such failure portends grave danger to our national security as a whole.”
Mr Agalga said there were unanswered questions which should be addressed even as the investigative team is put together to get to the bottom of the matter.
“How did the impounded vehicle manage to cross the border into Ghana at a time our borders remain closed as part of measures rolled out by the President to stem the spread of COVID-19.
“Are the security agencies namely, NACOC, Customs, Immigration, Police and the Bureau of National Investigations not required to collaborate in their quest to protect our country against the commission of cross-border crimes?” Mr Agalga asked.
He said the lack of collaboration between the NACOC and the Customs Division of the GRA was a very dangerous development which must be dealt with expeditiously.
“If nothing is done about the impasse between the two, you can be sure that our national security in the long run is going to be compromised in a manner that could be detrimental to our collective security as a people,” he posited.
Mr Agalga was baffled why the Customs Division of the GRA was yet to publicly speak on the allegation levelled against it by the NACOC boss that they were to be blamed for the disappearance of the substance.
He said owing to past experiences where cocaine got missing from the custody of the police in 2006 and 2008, “the current government (must) follow precedent by allowing an independent body to thoroughly investigate the Aflao cocaine saga.”
Source: Ghanaian Times
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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