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11.08.2014 Editorial

Dangerous Shenanigans

By Daily Guide
Dangerous Shenanigans
11.08.2014 LISTEN

Politicising drugs has become a passion of many politicians and government appointees. The portentous impact of the occupation on the nation appears to have been lost on us as a people. We are either oblivious to this fact or simply succumbing to our inordinate obsession for political shenanigans, regardless of the cost of this irresponsible passion.

The proclivity to politicise drug peddling or pushing is as old as our craze for gaining political mileage. Sadly operatives of the fourth estate of the realm have fuelled the obscene nation-wrecking pastime through their irresponsible amplification of the passion.

The political parties who erroneously think they stand to gain by the aggravation of the aberration will discover, when it is too late, the fallout from their indirect enhancement of the drug business.

There is absolutely no need for the politicisation of drug offences as is being championed in the country today. It is as though politicians or others who are associated with this class of Ghanaians, especially the media, will rather we suffered the fallout from the drug business than derived the benefits of a drug-free society.

The arrival of Eric Amoateng, former Nkoranza North MP, from the US after serving a jail term in the North American country, has spawned a fresh impetus for this aberration as government appointees in relevant agencies have quintessentially turned to propagandists. They churn out mischievous and mendacious details to NDC-friendly newspapers to accelerate a political agenda. This they do in a pretentious mode of pursuing the term of reference of their offices.

Unfortunately the drug peddling menace is not a preserve of one political party. As a crime permeating all facets of society, all political parties have members who have either engaged in the criminality or continue to do so on the blind side of the law enforcement agents or in league with some of them.

As a dangerous criminality whose fallout can lead to unacceptable repercussions on national security and health, the need for a cross-partisan approach in fighting it cannot be overemphasised.

Both political parties—the NPP and NDC—should bow their heads in shame for politicising this criminality.

Encouraging this criminality by such politicisation can only cripple law enforcement agents' efforts at arresting or minimising it. Columbia and Mexico present a perfect picture of what a drug-infected society looks like. Let us consider these realities and be counselled accordingly.

The head of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) must rethink his stance and avoid providing impetus for the politicisation of drugs.

The national interest should supersede parties'. The law should be allowed to take its course regardless of whose ox is gored. We cannot manage a drug infected Ghana.

 
 

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