The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called for greater accountability from state institutions responsible for securing Ghana’s borders and combating narcotics trafficking.
The Bishops said Parliament’s proposed recall to examine the shipment of 3.9 tonnes of cocaine linked to Ghana provides an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of measures in place to prevent illicit drugs from entering or passing through the country.
In a statement issued on Monday, September 21, the Conference described the proposed parliamentary oversight as “legitimate and necessary” and urged that it proceed without delay.
It said the scrutiny should extend to institutions responsible for Ghana’s entry points and national security, including the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of National Security, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Immigration Service and the National Intelligence Bureau.
The Bishops said the institutions must account for the effectiveness of their systems for detecting and preventing narcotics trafficking through Ghana’s ports, borders and other entry points.
The call follows a petition by the Minority in Parliament asking the Speaker to recall the House from recess to investigate the circumstances surrounding the 3.9-tonne cocaine shipment.
The Bishops, however, cautioned that the parliamentary process should not be reduced to partisan political exchanges, given the national security implications of the matter.
“We urge that any sitting proceed without delay, with the sobriety proper to a matter of this gravity rather than partisan point-scoring, and that every institution cooperate fully and transparently,” the statement said.
The Conference said the matter required institutional cooperation and transparency to establish the facts and identify any weaknesses that could undermine Ghana’s efforts to combat drug trafficking.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has directed the security agencies to develop a blueprint to improve inter-agency collaboration and strengthen Ghana’s response to drug trafficking and related security threats.
The directive comes amid renewed attention to Ghana’s capacity to prevent the country from being used as a transit point for illicit drugs and to strengthen coordination among agencies responsible for border security and narcotics control.
The parliamentary review, if undertaken, is expected to place the operations of the relevant institutions under scrutiny as stakeholders seek greater clarity on Ghana’s response to the trafficking of narcotics.
