GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi has welcomed President John Dramani Mahama’s reported directive to restore the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to Ghana’s list of Port Inspection Agencies following a recent drug trafficking incident linked to one of the country’s ports.
Mr Gyamfi said the development was a matter of concern to patriotic Ghanaians, arguing that the incident raised questions about the effectiveness of monitoring and inspection systems at Ghana’s ports.
According to him, NACOC, which is mandated to monitor, regulate, enforce and control narcotics trafficking, was removed from the list of Port Inspection Agencies by the government in June 2018.
He said although the reasons behind the 2018 decision were unclear, its effect was to weaken NACOC’s ability to inspect Ghana’s ports and detect or prevent the trafficking of narcotics through the country’s entry and exit points.
Mr Gyamfi described the reported decision by President Mahama to restore NACOC to the inspection regime as a positive development.
He further disclosed that the President had directed that NACOC be given unfettered access to all entry and exit points, including those by air, land and sea.
Mr Gyamfi, who said he had worked closely with the Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey-led NACOC in efforts to combat gold smuggling, expressed confidence that the Commission could help address the problem if provided with the necessary support.
Mr Gyamfi also said he understood that President Mahama had directed for all scanners and personnel at the country’s ports to be changed with immediate effect.
He expressed the view that the measures, if effectively implemented, would strengthen inspection and control systems at the ports and help prevent a recurrence of similar drug trafficking incidents.