‘NACOC officers are not adequately equipped’ – Miracles Aboagye

Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Miracles Aboagye, has urged the government to commit more resources to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), saying the commission's budget must reflect the seriousness of Ghana's fight against drug trafficking.

He said the government must provide NACOC with adequate funding and logistical support to enable its officers to effectively tackle the growing threat of narcotics trafficking.

Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, November 14, during a discussion on recent drug busts linked to Ghana, Mr Aboagye said the passion and commitment of NACOC officials must be matched with sufficient financial support from the state.

He singled out the Deputy Director-General in charge of Enforcement, Control and Elimination at NACOC, Twum, for his dedication to the work, but questioned whether the commission had the resources needed to deliver on its mandate.

"Sometimes when I hear Twum speak, I feel the passion in him. I mean, I really feel that he's passionate about the work," he said.

However, Mr Aboagye said his observations of NACOC personnel at the airport suggested that they were not adequately equipped to deal with the responsibilities assigned to them.

"But when I go to the airport, and I see the NACOC guys, they don't look fortified enough. You realise that they don't have enough to be able to do the kind of work that they do," he stated.

He said that the government's seriousness about tackling drug trafficking should be reflected in its budgetary allocation to narcotics control.

According to him, the government must make a clear financial commitment to the sector so NACOC can acquire the equipment and resources required to strengthen its operations.

"If the government really takes this narcotics thing seriously, it should reflect that this is how much we are dedicating to narcotics control, so that Twum and his people can also get the resources they need to work," he said.

Mr Aboagye warned that failing to adequately fund the commission could undermine public confidence in the country's efforts to combat drug trafficking.

He further cautioned that repeated reports of cocaine consignments worth billions of dollars leaving Ghana could create the impression that the country's economy was being supported by proceeds from the illegal drug trade.

"Otherwise, the easiest conclusion is that the economy clearly is being financed by cocaine," he said.

He added that the continued movement of large quantities of cocaine linked to Ghana raised serious questions about what happened to the drugs while they were within the country.

"If you have a country where, consistently, you are getting billions of dollars of cocaine getting out, only God knows what happened when the cocaine was in the country," he stated.

The 2027 budget indicates that the Narcotic Control Board will be made to retain 4.2 million cedis in internally generated funds for its operations.