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Missing illicit drugs: Narcotic Control C’ssion charges at Customs Division
The Narcotic Control Commission (NCC), has asked the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), to produce all exhibits intercepted at Kpoglo Border in the Volta Region last Friday during a joint operation by security operatives.
According to the Commission, the law mandated that impounded vehicles and their content must be retrieved and transferred to the NCC within 36 hours.
The Acting Director General of the NCC, Mr Francis Torkornoo who disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday said the substance suspected to be illicit drugs was being transited into the country by a drug syndicate when it was impounded.
He said after impounding the truck and its content, the Customs Division contrary to the law kept it in their custody for almost a week.
However, he said the Commission needed the exhibits suspected to be narcotic substance including the missing 100.1 grams whitish substance suspected to be cocaine for testing and to enable investigations to commence.
“As of date the Custom Division of the GRA has failed to hand over the exhibits to the NCC for further investigations,” he added.
Mr Torkornoo mentioned that the items comprised six parcels labelled fatal (767.3g), 45 whites pebbles(3,097.1g), 40 blisters 10 tabs, 225 tramadol tablet (353.5g), three cans labelled praise palm cream weighing 2,265.7g,eight parcel wrapped in brown cello tape weighing 7.743.1g, four parcel wrapped in black polytene weighing 5,079.2g,fifity-one parcels wrapped in transparent polythene weighing 5,0459.2 .
He said in addition was an amount US$200,000.00, drivers licence, complimentary cards, and cheque books.
Mr Torkornoo said the Commission had written officially to the division to demand for the exhibits, adding they will pursue the matter in court if the division failed to hand over the exhibits to them.
“I have personally sent messages and calls to their boss demanding for the exhibits for further investigations but to no avail,” he added.
Mr Torkornoo said on June 7, 2020 about 7am, all the agencies were invited by the Customs Division to verify the exhibits in the custody, before it was escorted to the headquarters of the division.
However, the verification exercise revealed that a parcel 100.10g parcel of the seized items was missing.
The Director General also explained that the security operation which led to the arrest was based on intelligence of an NCC officer and not a sole effort of the Customs Division.
When contacted on the issue, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) in charge of Communications at the GRA, Mr Yankey Johnson Menlah said on June 8, the Division presented the exhibits (suspected narcotics) without the vehicle to the NCC in Accra but they refused to accept it because the vehicle and other exhibits were not included.
He said the NCC as a procedure should have written officially to the Commissioner of GRA to request for the vehicle.
The Chief Revenue Officer stated that all the money seized have been paid to the Bank of Ghana.
He said a committee had also been set in Accra to investigate the missing whitish substance suspected to be cocaine.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI
Madam Sandra Seyram Kpedor, the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Anloga in the Volta Region, has emphasised the importance of parental involvement in children’s education, stating that education is free, but parents need to do more to support their children.
She said parents, teachers, and students must be involved in addressing the challenges facing the district’s education sector, particularly the poor Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results.
Madam Kpedor outlined some key roles parents should play to promote their children’s education, including providing a conducive learning environment, monitoring their children’s progress, and supporting teachers.
The DCE highlighted some challenges the district faced such as inadequate infrastructure and a shortage of teachers, which have also contributed to the poor BECE results and called on well-to-do parent to help solve the situation through and other supports.
To address the issues, she also announced that plans have been taken to utilise the district’s common fund to implement educational projects, such as constructing school blocks and teachers’ bungalows at Sodzi community, and 2-unit classroom blocks each at Akplorwutorkor and Tegbi-Afedome respectively, among others.
Madam Kpedor also noted that her office had earlier notified the Ministry of Education to deploy more teachers to the area to improve teaching and learning, and encouraged students to work hard and strive for excellence, and work beyond their limit to succeed.
“To my wonderful and beautiful girls, you have to know it clear that women and girls have equal opportunities to compete with men for greater achievements,” she indicated.
The DCE cited her own achievement as a testament to the fact that women can excel in leadership positions, alongside Vice President Nana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, and stressed that girls were no longer limited to domestic roles but can pursue their dreams and become leaders.
Additionally, she mentioned that a meeting was held earlier with assembly members, and other stakeholders to address the district’s educational challenges and improve academic performance.
She promised that the district’s education oversight committee and stakeholders would work together to address the challenges and improve the district’s BECE results and called for parental involvement and support to boost the district’s education sector for children to chase their dreams to become future leaders for the success of the district and the nation.
She urged parents not to leave everything to the government but rather help in the provision of some necessary materials such as textbooks, exercise books, pens, pencils, food, and guidance to children for the successes of young learners. –GNA
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The spokesperson for Dr. Bawumia, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has criticised the implementation of the NDC government’s No Fee Stress policy, arguing that the programme has failed to deliver on its core promise.
According to him on Starr fm, the policy, which was introduced to ensure stress free payment of fees for level 100 tertiary students, has rather turned into what he described as post stress support.
He explained that students are required to pay their fees first before applying for reimbursement, a situation he believes defeats the purpose of the policy.
He questioned claims by government officials that the policy has been successful and that citizens are happy.
In his view, such claims do not reflect the lived realities of many Ghanaians. He stressed that while some people may appear satisfied, many others continue to struggle.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye pointed to the situation of trained teachers and nurses who have been picketing for nearly six months, demanding employment.
He noted that government responses suggesting it cannot accommodate all of them contradict claims of economic stability.
He further argued that economic indicators such as a stable currency mean little to people who are unable to secure jobs or access promised support.
He observed that telling an unemployed teacher or a struggling student that the cedi has strengthened does not address their immediate challenges.
On the issue of tertiary education, he maintained that no level 100 student benefited from stress free fees in 2025, despite the policy being announced.
He added that in 2026, students have already reported to school without receiving the promised support.
He insisted that asking students to pay fees first and seek reimbursement later amounts to support after hardship, not stress free education.
According to him, this approach goes against what was promised during the policy announcement.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye questioned why a government that presents the economy as strong is unable to fulfil what he described as simple and clear promises.
He added that there is a fundamental problem with the way the economy is being managed and indicated that he is prepared to explain his position further.
By: Jacob Aggrey
