The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has demanded the resignation of the leadership of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), the Interior Minister and other security agencies responsible for Ghana’s ports and airports, following repeated international cocaine seizures involving consignments traced to the country.
The party insists that the scale of the interceptions and the reported loss of confidence among foreign law enforcement authorities warrant immediate changes at the helm of the affected institutions.
“We call for a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry and for the heads of responsible agencies to step aside. The head of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and the leadership there must go. Ghana Airports Company Limited, they must go; the leadership there, from the MD to the head of security, they must all leave.”
Henry Nana Boakye
Speaking at a press conference, Henry Nana Boakye directed particular criticism at the leadership of NACOC, including its Director-General and Deputy Director-General. He also questioned the tenure of officials responsible for airport security and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, arguing that repeated interceptions demand institutional accountability.
The NPP official further challenged the position of Interior Minister, Honourable Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, citing remarks he attributed to the minister concerning French authorities’ reluctance to share intelligence with Ghanaian counterparts. He contended that the reported distrust show that, “Ghana government officials are complicit in this matter” and constitute a serious indictment of the country’s security leadership.
In addition, Mr Boakye questioned the government’s response to the September 2026 cocaine seizure at Dunkirk, France, where nearly 3.9 tonnes of the substance were reportedly intercepted in a container declared as plastic waste and shipped from Ghana. He reiterated that such incidents could not be dismissed as “isolated enforcement lapses.”
The 2nd Vice Chair also recalled President John Dramani Mahama’s emergency security meeting on 17 September, after which an inter-agency task force reportedly received two weeks to prepare a roadmap for preventing drug trafficking through Ghana’s ports. He criticised the absence of a publicly presented roadmap five weeks later, insisting that “the government had failed to demonstrate the decisive leadership required.”
Mr Boakye further referenced the arrest of 10 people, including four Customs Division officers of the Ghana Revenue Authority, following the September scandal. He noted that four Ghanaians have subsequently been charged in court, identifying one known Musa Atta Kofi. He reiterated that, “this gentleman is one of the close security protection of the president and sometimes the vice president.”
NPP Questions NACOC’s Account Of Beirut Cocaine Interception
Following the arrest of a Syrian national in Beirut with 46.7 kilogrammes of cocaine after travelling from Ghana, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) challenged the Narcotics Control Commission’s (NACOC) explanation of the interception, questioning its claim that the shipment was allowed to leave Ghana under a controlled-delivery arrangement.
The party contends that discrepancies in the accounts provided by Ghanaian officials and the Lebanese authorities have undermined confidence in the government’s handling of the case.
The 2nd Vice Chair of the New Patriotic Party, Henry Nana Boakye questioned the circumstances surrounding the arrest and demanded clarity on the alleged involvement of foreign suspects.
“The whole point of a controlled delivery is to let the drugs move so that the receivers and the financiers can be caught. Lebanon reports 46.7 kilograms of cocaine seized at the airport. NACOC also is reporting 40 differences of about 6.7 kilograms of cocaine. You are saying that you collaborated in the effort to arrest this person.”
Henry Nana Boakye
Mr Boakye questioned why the only person initially reported to be in custody was the alleged courier, who was reportedly promised US$3,000 for each trip. He emphasised that a controlled delivery should facilitate the identification and arrest of the individuals receiving and financing the narcotics, not leave the public with unanswered questions about the wider trafficking network.
Furthermore, the NPP official challenged conflicting accounts concerning the arrest of three foreign nationals in Ghana. He cited an interview involving spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, Julius Kwame Anthony and Deputy NACOC Director-General Alexander Twum Barimah, claiming that their respective responses on whether arrests have been made contradicted each other.
“The government cannot even keep its own story straight,” Mr Boakye remarked, questioning why the identities of the alleged suspects, the charges against them and details of any court proceedings had not been made public.
In addition, Mr Boakye challenged the suggestion that Ghanaian authorities played a decisive role in the Beirut interception. He pointed to reports from Lebanon crediting its customs and General Security agencies, while questioning the absence of any corresponding acknowledgement of NACOC’s involvement in the statements he referenced.
Subsequently, the 2nd Vice Chair called for transparency over the operation, insisting that an arrest without the identification of suspects and details of their prosecution offer little assurance to the public.
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