'Major drug cases must not end with press statement’ – NPP Oti Treasurer

New Patriotic Party (NPP) Oti Regional Treasurer and former Free SHS Coordinator, Nicholas Baafi Boadi, has called for a more aggressive and sustained response to illicit drug trafficking in Ghana.

He argued that major narcotics cases should not end with public announcements of seizures and promises of investigations, but must result in thorough investigations and clear outcomes.

According to him, the growing number of major drug-related incidents linked to Ghana raises questions about the effectiveness of institutions responsible for protecting the country’s borders, ports, airports and territorial waters.

Speaking on the Bubune Morning Show, hosted by Nana Yaw Asiamah, Mr. Baafi Boadi recalled the controversial MV Benjamin cocaine case of 2006 under former President John Agyekum Kufuor, which he said demonstrated the level of seriousness with which major narcotics cases could be handled.

The MV Benjamin case became one of Ghana’s most controversial narcotics scandals after cocaine allegedly seized from the vessel was reported to have gone missing and was controversially described as having been replaced with cassava flour.

A committee chaired by then Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood was subsequently established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case.

Mr. Baafi Boadi said the investigations and subsequent prosecutions created a strong deterrent against drug trafficking at the time.

He argued that Ghana now needs a similar level of seriousness in dealing with major narcotics cases.

He cited the reported interception of 3.3 tonnes of cocaine at Pedu Junction in March 2025, saying the authorities announced investigations but that the public is yet to receive a comprehensive account of what those investigations established.

His concern, he said, was that major cases attract significant public attention when seizures are announced, but the subsequent investigations often become less visible.

“The President meeting with security chiefs is a step in the right direction. That is what is needed. But it shouldn't end at just meetings,” he said.

Mr. Baafi Boadi also raised questions about the MV Sankofa case, pointing to reports that the vessel had earlier been intercepted by Ghanaian authorities before subsequently being seized in Senegal, where cocaine was reportedly found on board.

He questioned why a vessel that had already attracted the attention of Ghanaian authorities was allowed to leave without, in his view, a sufficiently thorough examination of its contents.

For him, such incidents raise broader questions about Ghana’s ability to detect and disrupt international drug trafficking networks before consignments leave the country or Ghanaian waters.

He further warned that Ghana’s role as a potential transit point could have consequences beyond the international trafficking of narcotics.

“When a country becomes a transit hub for drugs, not all of it leaves, some remains behind. What stays behind ends up being bought and consumed by our youth, destroying them,” he said.

The NPP Oti Regional Treasurer also questioned the effectiveness of security arrangements at Ghana’s airports, particularly the use of scanners and other technological systems designed to detect prohibited substances.

He argued that technology alone cannot guarantee effective enforcement if personnel operating the systems fail to properly perform their duties.

“Aren't human beings operating these scanners? If an operator turns a blind eye to contraband, it passes through,” he said.

Mr. Baafi Boadi further called for greater attention to the financiers and organisers behind major drug operations.

He argued that law enforcement must move beyond the arrest of low-level users and couriers and investigate the networks responsible for financing and coordinating large-scale international trafficking.

“If they can arrest those, why can't they intercept cocaine?” he asked.

He said the scale of some reported seizures suggests that significant financial resources and organised networks are involved, requiring equally serious investigations to uncover those operating behind the scenes.

Mr. Baafi Boadi welcomed President John Dramani Mahama’s recent engagement with security chiefs, port and harbour officials, the Navy and other relevant agencies following major drug seizures.

However, he stressed that such engagements must produce concrete results.

He said when the government directs investigations into major drug cases, the outcomes should eventually be made known to the public, including whether individuals or officials were found culpable and what action was taken.

“By now, an investigative report should have been published showing who was involved and what sanctions were imposed,” he said.

Beyond trafficking networks, Mr. Baafi Boadi expressed concern about the increasing use of illicit substances among young people in Ghana.

He said the availability of drugs, combined with peer pressure and growing exposure to substance use through social media, could have serious consequences for families and communities.

He argued that preventing young people from gaining easy access to illicit substances should form an important part of Ghana’s national drug strategy.

According to him, communities that become known as drug transit or consumption areas can experience wider social problems, while young people exposed to substance abuse may suffer consequences that affect their future.

He therefore called for intensified public education targeted at young people, alongside stronger enforcement against those who supply and distribute illicit drugs.

Mr. Baafi Boadi also proposed the establishment of positive peer groups that can help young people resist pressure to experiment with drugs.

“People often get into drugs because a friend introduced them. So why not build positive peer networks among the youth to counter this influence?” he asked.

He maintained that Ghana’s response to illicit drugs must go beyond occasional arrests and seizures, insisting that investigations should pursue the full chain of the trade, from couriers and distributors to financiers and organisers.

For him, the issue should be treated as both a national security and public health concern, particularly because of the potential impact of drug trafficking on Ghana’s youth and the country’s international reputation.

He urged the government and security agencies to ensure that major drug cases are thoroughly investigated and brought to a clear conclusion, rather than allowing them to fade from public attention after initial announcements.