The Progressive Alliance for Ghana (PAG) has called for a comprehensive investigation into recent narcotics seizures linked to Ghana, urging authorities to go beyond the arrest of couriers and suspected shippers and uncover the wider networks allegedly behind the movement of large consignments of illicit drugs.
In a statement issued by its Communication Director, Donald Dzameshie, on behalf of PAG and the Office of its presidential candidate, Dr John Enyonam Kpikpi, the party said the scale of the reported seizures raises serious questions about how consignments of such magnitude could move through Ghanaian systems without detection.
“Ghana must follow the drugs and follow the money,” the statement declared, arguing that investigations should establish who financed the operations, who organised them and whether individuals or networks within the country facilitated the movement of the consignments.
PAG said particular attention should be paid to Ghana’s ports, borders, security agencies and regulatory institutions to determine whether the movement of the consignments resulted from institutional weaknesses, negligence or deliberate facilitation.
The party also called on Parliament to exercise its oversight responsibilities and demand answers from the relevant institutions.
According to PAG, the issue should not be reduced to a political contest between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“Drug trafficking is a national security issue, not a party-political issue,” the statement said, stressing the need for a national rather than partisan response.
The party further called for accountability where evidence establishes wrongdoing.
It said officials found to have failed in their responsibilities should face appropriate consequences, while individuals found to have engaged in criminal conduct should be dealt with according to law.
At the same time, PAG cautioned against condemning individuals solely because their names may have been mentioned in political statements.
“Accountability must be based on evidence and due process,” the statement said.
PAG also warned that the issue has implications beyond Ghana’s domestic security, noting that the country’s international reputation could be affected if Ghana is perceived as a transit point for international narcotics networks.
The party therefore urged authorities to strengthen security at the country’s ports and borders, improve intelligence-sharing among relevant institutions and enhance mechanisms for detecting and disrupting international drug-trafficking networks.
It also called for any task force established to investigate the matter to have a clear mandate and measurable outcomes, warning against the creation of another committee whose report ultimately receives little or no follow-up.
The party said Ghanaians deserve clear answers about how the consignments entered or moved through the country and whether institutional failures or criminal networks played a role.
“Ghanaians deserve answers. Ghana deserves accountability. And Ghana deserves institutions that work,” the statement concluded.
The call comes amid continuing public concern over narcotics trafficking and the effectiveness of Ghana’s systems for detecting and disrupting illicit drug shipments. PAG’s position is that investigations should focus not only on those physically transporting the drugs but also on the financial, organisational and institutional structures that enable large-scale trafficking to take place.
By Donald Dzameshie
Communication Director, Progressive Alliance for Ghana (PAG), and the Office of Dr John Enyonam Kpikpi for President-PAG