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Security intercepts 53 parcels of smuggled ‘wee’ in Ketu South
The security agencies in the Ketu South Municipality in the Volta Region have foiled another attempt by the notorious cross-border drug cartel there to cross into Togo with a huge consignment of dried leaves suspected be to marijuana, otherwise known as ‘wee’.
This time, three men who were spotted with a sack, by a joint team of personnel from the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) on a routine patrol exercise last Saturday at Beat 6 of the Ghana-Togo border fled, leaving behind the maxi sack containing the stuff, as the security personnel closed in on them.
The abandoned sack which was taken to the Aflao Sector Command of the GIS was found to contain 53 parcels of the dried leaves, weighing 22,683.3 grammes in total.
This comes barely 48 hours after 31 parcels of cannabis were left behind by four fleeing members of the cartel, at the Beat 11 border enclave near Aflao.
In both instances, the couriers were trying to enter Togo through unapproved routes when the security personnel pursued them.
In the earlier incident, it was established that two of the suspects were Togolese.
The officer in-charge of the Public Affairs Unit of the GIS in the Volta Region, Assistant Inspector Felix Klu-Adjei disclosed these to the Ghanaian Times in Ho yesterday.
He said that a manhunt for all the seven suspects was underway.
Meanwhile, he said that the parcels of dried leaves had been handed over to the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) for further investigations.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
