Turn NACOB into a Commission Chief Psychiatrist suggests

As part of measures to make the fight against drug trafficking more potent, the Medical Director at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Akwasi Osei, has appealed to government to turn the Narcotics Control Board into a full fledged Commission under the Office of the Presidency.

He further requested government to hasten the restructuring process at the Narcotics Control Board. "I know there is an attempt to revamp NACOB but it is taking too long,” he said in an interview with The Statesman yesterday.

The call by the country's leading Psychiatrist comes at a time when the country has gained an infamous recognition as a transit point for drug trafficking.

Last year, government stepped up its fight against drug trafficking by setting up the Georgina Wood Committee to investigate the whereabouts of 76 parcels of cocaine brought into the country by the vessel MV Benjamin. The Committee also delved into the East Legon cocaine saga.

Based on the finding of the Committee the Attorney-General's Department initiated several legal actions against drug traffickers, which has resulted in some convictions this year. Last year also saw Operation Westbridge being instituted by the British Government in collaboration with their Ghanaian counterpart.

According to Dr Osei, there are two sides to NACOB's duties, namely the health, which is demand reduction and the legal side, which is supply reduction.

Explaining the two sides, he said demand reduction requires that even if the drug is available, no one will have a use for it and those who have a use for it are to be treated. Supply reduction entails preventing the drugs from being imported or produced in the country.

He told The Statesman that because NACOB is an agency under the Ministry of Interior, they have neglected the health side of their duty and focused only on the legal aspect.

He observed that putting NACOB under the Ministry of Health would also not help matters since it is likely to focus more on the health aspect of their duty and neglect the legal aspect.

It was for this reason that Dr Osei is suggesting that NACOB be turned into a Commission under the Office of the President, in order to have its independence and fulfill its true mandate.

Although Dr Osei praised the country's narcotics laws, he said its policy issue is not adequate. “We have the law but do not have the policies to back them” he observed.

He also called for national information on drugs or a national centre on drug use, where one can get information and statistics of the drug situation in the country.

By Gilbert Boyefio