War on drugs intensifies- As America's DEA sets up Accra office

Government has intensified efforts to fight the drug menace which is giving the nation a bad image in the international world.

The establishment of an office in Accra by America's Drug Enforcement Administration is expected to provide greater impetus for the fight.

The office, which would be established between July and August will increase DEA's effort in fighting the drug menace in the West Coast Region, as more personnel are expected to be recruited to beef up the fight.

This came to light when a 5-member delegation from the Drug Enforcement Adminstration for Europe and Africa met the Interior Minister, Kwame Addo-Kufuor, to develop appropriate linkages to tackle the drug problem that has engulfed the country.

According to Dr Addo Kufuor, the provision of an X-ray machine at the Kotoka International Airport, speed boats to patrol the coastline, as well as the intensive and effective training of personnel at the Narcotics Control Board, Navy, Police and other stakeholders could make a positive impact on the campaign against drugs.

He explained that the X-ray machine would facilitate the detection of internally concealed drugs; the speed boats would minimise maritime smuggling of narcotic drugs while the training would help the enforcement agencies to fight against the narcotics trade.

Dr Addo-Kufuor noted that the country regarded the problem of drug trafficking as important one, not only in Ghana but other countries in the Gulf region, adding that collaboration between Ghana and the United States in the fight against illicit drugs had been going on since 2002.

He described the support the country had received from the US in the anti-narcotics campaign as modest and expressed the hope that it would be stepped up.

Dr Addo-Kufuor expressed appreciation to the US Government for the support the country had received in many sectors of the economy over the years, describing the US as a "serious development partner".

The issue of drugs in the country has generated a lot of interest among various groups and individuals in the country, especially politicians, with the main opposition National Democratic Congress employing it as campaign propaganda to score political points against the governing New Patriotic Party.

When he took his turn at the "Evening Encounter with Presidential Aspirants", the Institute of Economic Affairs initiated programme, Wednesday, NDC Presidential Candidate, John Evans Atta Mills, accused the Government of doing little to tackle the problem.

Prof Mills even insisted that the NPP administration had created a favourable environment for trade in narcotic drugs to flourish in the country, assuring to put in place measures to tackle the problem if he ascends the nation's presidency.

Also, speaking to top African and black media personnel in London during his recent visit to the United Kingdom, NPP Presidential Candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, also tackled growing concerns over the nation's reputation as a lucrative transit hub for narcotics trafficking.

"The whole of our region is under siege," he said, making allusion to the West African coast increasingly becoming the preferred choice for drug smugglers. He therefore called for collective regional efforts in the fight against the drug menace.

The NPP flag bearer also called for more to be done in strengthening the institutions mandated to fight the crime, however cautioning that against considering the rising number of arrests as an indication of growth in the drug trade in Ghana.

"It does not mean that suddenly Ghana has become a major transit point for hard drugs. I believe a lot more is being done in apprehending the culprits today than it was the case in the past. But like many things in Ghana, we have a long way to go in fighting off the criminals. The task ahead is to build the capacity of the Ghanaian state to serve the nation and the people far better than we have so far done," he underscored.

Among the delegation that visited the Interior Minister were, Ressell F Benson, DEA Director for Europe and Africa, and Michael Braun, Chief of Operations, US Drug Enforcement Agency.

Mr Braun said the purpose of the visit was to thank the Government of Ghana for granting them the permit to set up an enforcement office in the country.

According to Russell F Benson, DEA Regional Director for Europe and Africa, the setting up of the Office would further expand and strengthen the cooperation between Ghana and the US in different spheres of development.

He called for a collaborative effort among all countries in the fight against drug trafficking which was "a threat to the whole world."

With addditional GNA files