Page 23: February 16, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THREE persons suspected to be engaged in human trafficking have been arrested.
The three, a lecturer at the Accra Polytechnic and two Lebanese brothers, are suspected to be operating two different trafficking gangs.
Ibrahim Zubairu, the lecturer at the Accra Polytechnic, is currently on court bail while Ali Hussein and his brother, Mohammed Hussein, both Lebanese, are currently in custody at the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) following their arrest on Tuesday.
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Director of GIS, Ms Elizabeth Adjei, said two other collaborators of Zubairu, whose names she did not disclose for security reasons, were on the run.
She said the trafficking gangs usually recruited people from the Middle East, bring them to Ghana through Togo, then smuggle them to Europe or America.
She said the victims were often given fictitious travelling documents of other countries including fake visas.
Ms Adjei said in the first case involving Zubairu, the suspect brought in four Iraqis made up of two men, a lady and a child from Syria to Lome in November last year.
She said because the victims did not have the permit to enter Ghana, Zubairu and his collaborators smuggled them into Ghana through the bushes at night in December, last year.
According to her, Zubairu and his cohorts put out the lights of the car they used to bring the victims into Ghana each time they suspected that there might be human activity in those areas.
Ms Adjei said the victims were accommodated at a residence in Dzorwulu pending their departure to Europe after paying $12,500 each to the three Ghanaians.
She said the victims were later provided with fake South African passports and were scheduled to travel on December 28, but could not make it due to unknown reasons.
The director said the victims were later arrested by undercover agents of the GIS who led them to arrest Zubairu at his offices at Accra Polytechnic.
She said Zubairu was granted court bail after he was charged for attempted human trafficking.
With regards to the Hussein brothers, who operate the Phoenicia Restaurant at the Airport Residential Area, Ms Adjei said they brought in five Lebanese in January purportedly in transit to Togo via road.
She said the five Lebanese failed to show up at the Aflao Immigration Post indicating that they were still in Ghana.
As a result, she said, operatives of the Enforcement and Operations Units were alerted to look out for them.
Ms Adjei said intelligence later indicated that the five Lebanese were about to be smuggled outside the country through the Kotoka International Airport.
According to her, two of the Lebanese showed up at the KLM counter at the airport but were prevented from boarding the flight by the KLM officials on suspicion that the travelling documents were fake.
Unfortunately, she said, the KLM officials failed to notify the immigration officials to apprehend them.
Ms Adjei said the GIS later learnt that the two had slipped out of the country and that the three remaining Lebanese were to travel to Lome last Monday.
She said undercover agents of the GIS intercepted the three victims at Prampram in the Greater Accra Region last Monday.
She said the agents of the GIS arrested the Hussein brothers at dawn on Tuesday after initial investigations showed that they had brought the Lebanese into Ghana with the purpose of sending them abroad.
Ms Adjei said the GIS had intensified its immigration control and post-entry monitoring activities following global terrorists threats.
She said it had come to the attention of the GIS that some unscrupulous persons had occupied themselves with human trafficking, with people from conflict-prone areas as their targets.
She said nationals of Bangladesh, India, Iraq and Lebanon were the most targeted and indicated that the GIS would rise up to the task of dealing with the criminal gangs.
Ms Adjei said what the traffickers did was often to smuggle the victims to neighbouring West African countries, acquire Ghanaian visas for them to enter Ghana legally.
She explained that the choice of Ghana was because of the availability of flights to the preferred destination of the victims in Ghana.
Ms Adjei said the GIS had notified the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to alert the Ghana missions in the West coast to thoroughly screen visa applications from nationals from the Middle East and other areas before issuing visas to them.
She appealed to Ghanaians to be on the alert and notify the GIS of any suspicious persons within their neighbourhood, since national security was a collective responsibility.
Monday, February 18, 2008
A look at the Peace Corps
Page 21: February 18, 2008.
Article: Albert K. Salia
“The Peace Corps shows what is best in America, the generosity of spirit." - Joseph Kennedy.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps to promote world peace and friendship. Volunteers of the Peace Corps were to act as “missionaries of democracy” in whatever field they found themselves.
The mission of the Peace Corps is to help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women, help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served and help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
Since 1961, the Peace Corps has shared with the world, America's most precious resource—its people.
Peace Corps Volunteers serve in 74 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, and the Middle East. Collaborating with local community members, volunteers work in areas like education, youth outreach and community development, the environment, and information technology.
Ghana has the distinction of being the first country in the world to welcome the Peace Corps. The first group of 52 volunteers arrived in Ghana on August 30, 1961. Since that time, more than 3,700 volunteers have successfully served in the country.
Ghana's stable government, commitment to democracy, and extensive efforts to reform its economy are the key factors that contribute to the Peace Corps' impact.
In Ghana, the Peace Corps has been helping to promote the government’s educational reforms and community development initiatives through programmes in education, small enterprise development, environment and health.
Education
In the field of education, volunteers teach science, mathematics, information and computer technology and visual arts to more than 7,600 students in secondary schools and work closely with Ghanaian counterparts in the development of subject resource manuals. Many volunteers are involved in secondary projects that include rehabilitating school libraries and establishing science and computer laboratories. Some also help to strengthen parent-school and school-community relationships.
Small Enterprise Development
Volunteers provide training in eco-tourism, small business development, financial management, marketing, product quality, client servicing, standards and credit availability for small entrepreneurs. They work with international and local non-governmental agencies, local governments, and private sector associations in both urban and rural areas. Some volunteers organise income-generating projects for people living with HIV/AIDS. Other volunteers develop tourism destinations and products focused on the cultural and historical value of activities such as kente weaving and bead making.
Environment
Volunteers reduce environmental degradation through partnerships with governmental and non- governmental agencies. Ghana faces persistent environmental issues such as deforestation, diminished soil fertility, erosion and disappearance of naturally occurring bodies of water. They facilitate the planting and sale of seedlings, develop community environmental groups and transfer management skills for natural resource-based income-generating projects.
Health
Volunteers promote behavioural change to reduce water and sanitation-related diseases and to create HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. Through participatory community assessment, delivery of health talks and training, volunteers collaborate with community water and sanitation committees. Health projects focus on improving hygiene and nutrition, protecting water supplies, extending clinical services, working to eradicate Guinea worm disease and educating communities on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Coming from all walks of life and representing the rich diversity of the American people, volunteers range in age from college students to retirees. Every Peace Corps Volunteer's experience is different.
From teaching English to elementary schoolchildren in Zambia to launching a computer learning centre in Moldova and promoting HIV/AIDS awareness in South Africa or working on soil conservation in Panama, volunteers bring their skills and life experiences to where they are needed most.
The success of the Peace Corps since its inception can be seen because there are more than 190,000 Peace Corps Volunteers currently in 139 countries, working on issues ranging from AIDS education to information technology and environmental preservation.
Today, the Peace Corps is more vital than ever, working in emerging and essential areas such as information technology and business development; and more than 1,000 new volunteers are committed to that, as a part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
Peace Corps Volunteers continue to help countless individuals who want to build a better life for themselves, their children and their communities.
The world has changed since 1961 and the Peace Corps has changed with it. With 8,079 volunteers in 68 posts serving 74 countries, the Peace Corps is more relevant today than ever.
While volunteers continue to do important work like bringing clean water to communities and teaching children, today's volunteers also work in areas like HIV/AIDS awareness, information technology and business development.
The Peace Corps will continue to address global needs as they arise.
After the September 11, 2001 attacks alerted the nation to growing anti-U.S. sentiment in the Middle East, President George W. Bush pledged to double the size of the organisation within five years as a part of the war on terrorism. For the 2004 fiscal year, the American Congress passed a budget increase at $325 million; $30 million above that of 2003, but $30 million below the President's request.
Article: Albert K. Salia
“The Peace Corps shows what is best in America, the generosity of spirit." - Joseph Kennedy.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps to promote world peace and friendship. Volunteers of the Peace Corps were to act as “missionaries of democracy” in whatever field they found themselves.
The mission of the Peace Corps is to help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women, help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served and help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
Since 1961, the Peace Corps has shared with the world, America's most precious resource—its people.
Peace Corps Volunteers serve in 74 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, and the Middle East. Collaborating with local community members, volunteers work in areas like education, youth outreach and community development, the environment, and information technology.
Ghana has the distinction of being the first country in the world to welcome the Peace Corps. The first group of 52 volunteers arrived in Ghana on August 30, 1961. Since that time, more than 3,700 volunteers have successfully served in the country.
Ghana's stable government, commitment to democracy, and extensive efforts to reform its economy are the key factors that contribute to the Peace Corps' impact.
In Ghana, the Peace Corps has been helping to promote the government’s educational reforms and community development initiatives through programmes in education, small enterprise development, environment and health.
Education
In the field of education, volunteers teach science, mathematics, information and computer technology and visual arts to more than 7,600 students in secondary schools and work closely with Ghanaian counterparts in the development of subject resource manuals. Many volunteers are involved in secondary projects that include rehabilitating school libraries and establishing science and computer laboratories. Some also help to strengthen parent-school and school-community relationships.
Small Enterprise Development
Volunteers provide training in eco-tourism, small business development, financial management, marketing, product quality, client servicing, standards and credit availability for small entrepreneurs. They work with international and local non-governmental agencies, local governments, and private sector associations in both urban and rural areas. Some volunteers organise income-generating projects for people living with HIV/AIDS. Other volunteers develop tourism destinations and products focused on the cultural and historical value of activities such as kente weaving and bead making.
Environment
Volunteers reduce environmental degradation through partnerships with governmental and non- governmental agencies. Ghana faces persistent environmental issues such as deforestation, diminished soil fertility, erosion and disappearance of naturally occurring bodies of water. They facilitate the planting and sale of seedlings, develop community environmental groups and transfer management skills for natural resource-based income-generating projects.
Health
Volunteers promote behavioural change to reduce water and sanitation-related diseases and to create HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. Through participatory community assessment, delivery of health talks and training, volunteers collaborate with community water and sanitation committees. Health projects focus on improving hygiene and nutrition, protecting water supplies, extending clinical services, working to eradicate Guinea worm disease and educating communities on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Coming from all walks of life and representing the rich diversity of the American people, volunteers range in age from college students to retirees. Every Peace Corps Volunteer's experience is different.
From teaching English to elementary schoolchildren in Zambia to launching a computer learning centre in Moldova and promoting HIV/AIDS awareness in South Africa or working on soil conservation in Panama, volunteers bring their skills and life experiences to where they are needed most.
The success of the Peace Corps since its inception can be seen because there are more than 190,000 Peace Corps Volunteers currently in 139 countries, working on issues ranging from AIDS education to information technology and environmental preservation.
Today, the Peace Corps is more vital than ever, working in emerging and essential areas such as information technology and business development; and more than 1,000 new volunteers are committed to that, as a part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
Peace Corps Volunteers continue to help countless individuals who want to build a better life for themselves, their children and their communities.
The world has changed since 1961 and the Peace Corps has changed with it. With 8,079 volunteers in 68 posts serving 74 countries, the Peace Corps is more relevant today than ever.
While volunteers continue to do important work like bringing clean water to communities and teaching children, today's volunteers also work in areas like HIV/AIDS awareness, information technology and business development.
The Peace Corps will continue to address global needs as they arise.
After the September 11, 2001 attacks alerted the nation to growing anti-U.S. sentiment in the Middle East, President George W. Bush pledged to double the size of the organisation within five years as a part of the war on terrorism. For the 2004 fiscal year, the American Congress passed a budget increase at $325 million; $30 million above that of 2003, but $30 million below the President's request.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Three taxi snatchers under arrest
Page 48: February 12, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THREE persons who snatched a taxi from its driver and took it to Wa to sell have been arrested.
The three — Yakubu Mutawakil, 34; Salifu Abubakar, 27, and Vincent Agbadzi, 29 — are currently in custody at the Amasaman Police Station.
The Amasaman District Police Commander, Superintendent J. Oklu Gyamera, told the Daily Graphic after the arrest of the three, that the taxi driver, Mr Odartey Darlington, reported to the police on January 10, 2008, that two men had robbed him of his taxi, with registration number GS 3027 Y, at Odumasi, near Amasaman.
He said the driver claimed that the two men, who were later identified as Abubakar and Agbadzi, hired him from Achimota and requested that he took them to Odumasi.
He said the driver claimed that on reaching an isolated area near Odumasi, the two men pulled a knife at him and asked him to stop.
Supt Gyamera said the two men tied him up and gagged him with the duster to prevent him from shouting for help.
He said the men also took away the driver’s mobile phone and abandoned him in the bush and sped off.
According to him, the two men later picked Mutawakil on the way and headed for Wa.
Supt. Gyamera said the suspects then had to sell the mobile phone on their way to buy fuel.
The District Commander said upon reaching Wa, the suspects could not get a ready market for the vehicle, resulting in Abubakar and Agbadzi returning to Accra.
He said Mutawakil promised to sell the car at GH¢3,500 and bring the booty to Accra for them to share.
Supt. Gyamera said while the vehicle was in Wa, Mutawakil took it to a mechanic shop for the AMA embossment on it to be defaced.
He said while the mechanics were busy defacing the AMA embossment, an informant saw it and notified the Wa police on suspicion that it might have been a stolen vehicle.
He said the Wa police responded immediately and succeeded in arresting Mutawakil and impounded the vehicle as well.
According to him, because the Amasaman police had sent a signal about the loss of the vehicle, the Wa police brought both the suspect and the vehicle to Accra on February 6, 2008, to assist in investigations.
Supt Gyamera said while in custody, Mutawakil led the police to arrest Abubakar and Agbadzi from their hideouts.
He alleged that the three suspects confessed committing the offence.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THREE persons who snatched a taxi from its driver and took it to Wa to sell have been arrested.
The three — Yakubu Mutawakil, 34; Salifu Abubakar, 27, and Vincent Agbadzi, 29 — are currently in custody at the Amasaman Police Station.
The Amasaman District Police Commander, Superintendent J. Oklu Gyamera, told the Daily Graphic after the arrest of the three, that the taxi driver, Mr Odartey Darlington, reported to the police on January 10, 2008, that two men had robbed him of his taxi, with registration number GS 3027 Y, at Odumasi, near Amasaman.
He said the driver claimed that the two men, who were later identified as Abubakar and Agbadzi, hired him from Achimota and requested that he took them to Odumasi.
He said the driver claimed that on reaching an isolated area near Odumasi, the two men pulled a knife at him and asked him to stop.
Supt Gyamera said the two men tied him up and gagged him with the duster to prevent him from shouting for help.
He said the men also took away the driver’s mobile phone and abandoned him in the bush and sped off.
According to him, the two men later picked Mutawakil on the way and headed for Wa.
Supt. Gyamera said the suspects then had to sell the mobile phone on their way to buy fuel.
The District Commander said upon reaching Wa, the suspects could not get a ready market for the vehicle, resulting in Abubakar and Agbadzi returning to Accra.
He said Mutawakil promised to sell the car at GH¢3,500 and bring the booty to Accra for them to share.
Supt. Gyamera said while the vehicle was in Wa, Mutawakil took it to a mechanic shop for the AMA embossment on it to be defaced.
He said while the mechanics were busy defacing the AMA embossment, an informant saw it and notified the Wa police on suspicion that it might have been a stolen vehicle.
He said the Wa police responded immediately and succeeded in arresting Mutawakil and impounded the vehicle as well.
According to him, because the Amasaman police had sent a signal about the loss of the vehicle, the Wa police brought both the suspect and the vehicle to Accra on February 6, 2008, to assist in investigations.
Supt Gyamera said while in custody, Mutawakil led the police to arrest Abubakar and Agbadzi from their hideouts.
He alleged that the three suspects confessed committing the offence.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
2000 police personnel promoted
Page: 47; February 11, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
MORE than 2,000 personnel of the Ghana Police Service have been promoted to various ranks as part of efforts to motivate them.
The Police Council handled the senior officers promotions while the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr P. K. Acheampong, was responsible for the junior officers.
The acting Director of Public Affairs, DSP Kwesi Ofori, told the Daily Graphic on Wednesday that 1,358 of the promoted staff were junior officers with the remaining being senior officers.
He said among the senior officers were 17 Chief Superintendents who were promoted to Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP), 28 from Superintendents to Chief Superintendents, 68 from Deputy Superintendents of Police to Superintendents and 60 from Assistant Superintendents to DSPs.
DSP Ofori said among the newly promoted ACPs were Mr Richmond Nii Ashitey Lomo Boi-Bi-Boi, Accra Regional Crime Officer; Madam Elizabeth Allando, Madina Divisional Commander; Martha Appiah, Divisional Crime Officer for Kpeshie; Messrs Anthony Tennyson Aidoo, Director of Police Communications, and Kwesi Mensah Duku, Tesano Divisional Police Commander.
He said the Director of Interpol Ghana, Mr Frank Sam Kwofie, and the Quarter Master-General, Mr Victor Gyan-Kyereko, were among those promoted from Superintendents to Chief Superintendents.
He explained that the promotions were based on seniority and the availability of vacancies in the general pool and the particular professional units.
DSP Ofori said prospective candidates for promotion must also have an unblemished career, no conviction for disciplinary problems in the past two years, no ongoing investigations and must have served for four years in his or her current position.
According to him, those who return from approved study leave must also work satisfactorily for six months after their return before recommendation is made for their promotion.
He explained that when approved such officers would not lose their seniority as they would be promoted to be at par with their colleagues.
DSP Ofori said so also were personnel on attachment with the United Nations and other bodies either outside or within the country.
He said such officers upon their return would be promoted accordingly so far as they did not have any disciplinary problems.
Besides these, he said, there was also room for special recommendation for promotion for personnel who exhibited exceptional commitment, bravery and courage to duty.
DSP Ofori said in such cases, the number of years served by the personnel did not matter before being promoted.
He said the IGP was hopeful that the promotions would encourage the affected personnel to work hard.
Story: Albert K. Salia
MORE than 2,000 personnel of the Ghana Police Service have been promoted to various ranks as part of efforts to motivate them.
The Police Council handled the senior officers promotions while the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr P. K. Acheampong, was responsible for the junior officers.
The acting Director of Public Affairs, DSP Kwesi Ofori, told the Daily Graphic on Wednesday that 1,358 of the promoted staff were junior officers with the remaining being senior officers.
He said among the senior officers were 17 Chief Superintendents who were promoted to Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP), 28 from Superintendents to Chief Superintendents, 68 from Deputy Superintendents of Police to Superintendents and 60 from Assistant Superintendents to DSPs.
DSP Ofori said among the newly promoted ACPs were Mr Richmond Nii Ashitey Lomo Boi-Bi-Boi, Accra Regional Crime Officer; Madam Elizabeth Allando, Madina Divisional Commander; Martha Appiah, Divisional Crime Officer for Kpeshie; Messrs Anthony Tennyson Aidoo, Director of Police Communications, and Kwesi Mensah Duku, Tesano Divisional Police Commander.
He said the Director of Interpol Ghana, Mr Frank Sam Kwofie, and the Quarter Master-General, Mr Victor Gyan-Kyereko, were among those promoted from Superintendents to Chief Superintendents.
He explained that the promotions were based on seniority and the availability of vacancies in the general pool and the particular professional units.
DSP Ofori said prospective candidates for promotion must also have an unblemished career, no conviction for disciplinary problems in the past two years, no ongoing investigations and must have served for four years in his or her current position.
According to him, those who return from approved study leave must also work satisfactorily for six months after their return before recommendation is made for their promotion.
He explained that when approved such officers would not lose their seniority as they would be promoted to be at par with their colleagues.
DSP Ofori said so also were personnel on attachment with the United Nations and other bodies either outside or within the country.
He said such officers upon their return would be promoted accordingly so far as they did not have any disciplinary problems.
Besides these, he said, there was also room for special recommendation for promotion for personnel who exhibited exceptional commitment, bravery and courage to duty.
DSP Ofori said in such cases, the number of years served by the personnel did not matter before being promoted.
He said the IGP was hopeful that the promotions would encourage the affected personnel to work hard.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
NACOB needs permanent staff — Aning
Page 34: February 8, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
AN expert in narcotics, Dr Kwesi Aning, has called on the government not to second personnel of any agency to the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) again.
He said the issue of seconding personnel from other agencies to the NACOB had impacted negatively on the performance of the national drug agency.
Dr Aning, who is also the Head of Conflict Prevention Management and Resolution Department (CPMRD) of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, told the Daily Graphic on Wednesday that the government needed to recruit competent persons on full-time basis and give them the requisite training to enable them to deliver.
He said the present situation where key positions were occupied by staff on secondment from other agencies did not augur well for total commitment in the fight against drugs.
According to him, such staff owed their allegiances to their parent institutions and, therefore, did not see themselves as part of NACOB and feared to do anything that might jeopardise their positions and also bring the name of their parent institutions into disrepute.
He said the problem of leaking information to parent organisations and individuals and that of handling of suspects and exhibits were all issues that seconded staff could not be trusted with.
Dr Aning said there were numerous instances where seconded staff had to start afresh to learn the workings of the organisations and settling down for business often took time.
He said the present situation was also not motivating enough for staff of NACOB to work hard to be rewarded with promotion to the top.
Dr Aning said staff of NACOB should rather be sent to the other agencies as focal persons for the NACOB.
He explained that it would then be the duty of such focal persons to gather intelligence for analysis by NACOB.
Dr Aning said in situations where personnel of any agency were to be sent to NACOB for whatever reason, such staff must be made to resign from their parent organisations, stressing that “people working at NACOB should have a 100 per cent allegiance to the organisation”.
He indicated that in Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone, their drug controlling agencies were adequately resourced with both personnel and logistics to undertake their own investigations, forensic laboratories for testing of drugs and prosecution units to deal with cases.
He also called for the adequate resourcing of NACOB and incentives for the staff to give of their best.
He explained that it was the inadequacy of resources and lack of motivation for staff that the drug dealers capitalised on to infiltrate the security agencies and other public institutions to corrupt the system.
According to Dr Aning, although experts had called for the raising of the status of NACOB into a commission, which he agreed with, it was also important that it was adequately resourced.
Story: Albert K. Salia
AN expert in narcotics, Dr Kwesi Aning, has called on the government not to second personnel of any agency to the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) again.
He said the issue of seconding personnel from other agencies to the NACOB had impacted negatively on the performance of the national drug agency.
Dr Aning, who is also the Head of Conflict Prevention Management and Resolution Department (CPMRD) of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, told the Daily Graphic on Wednesday that the government needed to recruit competent persons on full-time basis and give them the requisite training to enable them to deliver.
He said the present situation where key positions were occupied by staff on secondment from other agencies did not augur well for total commitment in the fight against drugs.
According to him, such staff owed their allegiances to their parent institutions and, therefore, did not see themselves as part of NACOB and feared to do anything that might jeopardise their positions and also bring the name of their parent institutions into disrepute.
He said the problem of leaking information to parent organisations and individuals and that of handling of suspects and exhibits were all issues that seconded staff could not be trusted with.
Dr Aning said there were numerous instances where seconded staff had to start afresh to learn the workings of the organisations and settling down for business often took time.
He said the present situation was also not motivating enough for staff of NACOB to work hard to be rewarded with promotion to the top.
Dr Aning said staff of NACOB should rather be sent to the other agencies as focal persons for the NACOB.
He explained that it would then be the duty of such focal persons to gather intelligence for analysis by NACOB.
Dr Aning said in situations where personnel of any agency were to be sent to NACOB for whatever reason, such staff must be made to resign from their parent organisations, stressing that “people working at NACOB should have a 100 per cent allegiance to the organisation”.
He indicated that in Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone, their drug controlling agencies were adequately resourced with both personnel and logistics to undertake their own investigations, forensic laboratories for testing of drugs and prosecution units to deal with cases.
He also called for the adequate resourcing of NACOB and incentives for the staff to give of their best.
He explained that it was the inadequacy of resources and lack of motivation for staff that the drug dealers capitalised on to infiltrate the security agencies and other public institutions to corrupt the system.
According to Dr Aning, although experts had called for the raising of the status of NACOB into a commission, which he agreed with, it was also important that it was adequately resourced.
Narcotic business challenges stability
Page 28: February 7, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE head of Conflict Prevention Management and Resolution Department (CPMRD) of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Dr Kwesi Aning, has stated that the greatest challenge to Ghana’s stability is the narcotic business.
He said the drug problem had undermined the reputation of the country in the last 15 years, and that increasingly the name Ghana was becoming synonymous with the drug trade.
According to him, it had become so because there had not been any serious operational response and also those in authority were unwilling to combat the menace.
Speaking in an interview following the arrest of a nine-member Ghanaian crew on board a shipload of 2.5 tonnes of cocaine in Liberian waters by a French navy at the weekend, Dr Aning indicated that even the rhetorical responses of the political authority had not been serious.
“Although we have security agencies, these institutions do not understand the dynamics of drugs and Ghana’s reputation in it,” he said.
Dr Aning said until the country began to see the drug trade as the new frontier for Ghana’s survival and responded to it as it did to the HIV/AIDS pandemic by having a national strategy and a concerted effort to deal with it, “we will never scratch the surface of the threat posed by the drug menace”.
He said if recent occurrences were anything to go by, then one would be right to conclude that there was no inter-agency collaboration at all but a fight for bureaucratic supremacy among the institutions that should be fighting the drug trade.
According to him, even more disturbing was the fact that instead of the fight against narcotics being an intelligence-led operation, it had become reactive.
Dr Aning noted that it was sad that the profits of drug trafficking was impacting so much on public institutions and community relations that it was no more shameful to be tagged a drug lord or agent because of the welfare role they played in society.
He said the way and manner public sector institutions, especially the police and the judiciary, were beginning to lose credibility was enough to send signals that all was not well with our fight against drugs.
“The picture that one gets is a country that is passive, its institutions totally directionless and its social values totally compromised,” he lamented.
Dr Aning said the weaknesses of the system and the non-seriousness shown in the fight against narcotics was the inability of the state to trace the information leaks that led to MV Jano escaping and the missing 77 parcels on board the MV Benjamin.
According to him, all these indicated that the agencies had been infiltrated by the drug lords as nothing was heard about MV Jano, no one punished for leaking the information and the budgetary allocation of no agency was cut, stressing that “the response mechanism to deal with such lapses is simply non-existent”.
He said the problem would be better appreciated if one was to compare the income levels of security personnel and the property they had acquired over a period.
Dr Aning said the problem had also been compounded by the fact that there had not been enough political will in fighting the drug menace.
He said although there had been public discourse and declaration in fighting the menace, private discourse between people in authority and law enforcement officers showed that the security personnel were prevented from doing their work.
“Although they can disobey the orders, they do so at their own peril. They will lose their jobs,” he said.
“What we are seeing now is more of a systemic infiltration of the country and not an individual problem,” he added.
Dr Aning said it was because of such failures and weaknesses that the foreign partners had decided to ward off the drug trade by guarding their waters and the West African coast from use by the drug lords.
He suggested that targets should be set for security institutions to deal with the problem and the government should be ready to hire and fire and people found to be connected in drug business should be imprisoned if need be.
He also called for a legislation to empower the security agencies to deal drastically with drug dealers when caught so as to send strong signals that the country was serious about its commitment to dealing with the problem.
He urged churches and traditional leaders to declare a month each year for public education on drugs.
According to him, while people, including churches and chiefs, were currently adoring wealth and commending people for building schools and other projects for them, if they did not question the source of the funds, the country would begin to reap the rewards of the drug business in the next 10 years.
“Already, the outline is there for all to see. The use of macho men and drug addicts everywhere would be worse,” he said, adding that if nothing was done the country that everyone cherished as a stable and peaceful one would be dominated by gangsterism, drug addicts, among others.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE head of Conflict Prevention Management and Resolution Department (CPMRD) of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Dr Kwesi Aning, has stated that the greatest challenge to Ghana’s stability is the narcotic business.
He said the drug problem had undermined the reputation of the country in the last 15 years, and that increasingly the name Ghana was becoming synonymous with the drug trade.
According to him, it had become so because there had not been any serious operational response and also those in authority were unwilling to combat the menace.
Speaking in an interview following the arrest of a nine-member Ghanaian crew on board a shipload of 2.5 tonnes of cocaine in Liberian waters by a French navy at the weekend, Dr Aning indicated that even the rhetorical responses of the political authority had not been serious.
“Although we have security agencies, these institutions do not understand the dynamics of drugs and Ghana’s reputation in it,” he said.
Dr Aning said until the country began to see the drug trade as the new frontier for Ghana’s survival and responded to it as it did to the HIV/AIDS pandemic by having a national strategy and a concerted effort to deal with it, “we will never scratch the surface of the threat posed by the drug menace”.
He said if recent occurrences were anything to go by, then one would be right to conclude that there was no inter-agency collaboration at all but a fight for bureaucratic supremacy among the institutions that should be fighting the drug trade.
According to him, even more disturbing was the fact that instead of the fight against narcotics being an intelligence-led operation, it had become reactive.
Dr Aning noted that it was sad that the profits of drug trafficking was impacting so much on public institutions and community relations that it was no more shameful to be tagged a drug lord or agent because of the welfare role they played in society.
He said the way and manner public sector institutions, especially the police and the judiciary, were beginning to lose credibility was enough to send signals that all was not well with our fight against drugs.
“The picture that one gets is a country that is passive, its institutions totally directionless and its social values totally compromised,” he lamented.
Dr Aning said the weaknesses of the system and the non-seriousness shown in the fight against narcotics was the inability of the state to trace the information leaks that led to MV Jano escaping and the missing 77 parcels on board the MV Benjamin.
According to him, all these indicated that the agencies had been infiltrated by the drug lords as nothing was heard about MV Jano, no one punished for leaking the information and the budgetary allocation of no agency was cut, stressing that “the response mechanism to deal with such lapses is simply non-existent”.
He said the problem would be better appreciated if one was to compare the income levels of security personnel and the property they had acquired over a period.
Dr Aning said the problem had also been compounded by the fact that there had not been enough political will in fighting the drug menace.
He said although there had been public discourse and declaration in fighting the menace, private discourse between people in authority and law enforcement officers showed that the security personnel were prevented from doing their work.
“Although they can disobey the orders, they do so at their own peril. They will lose their jobs,” he said.
“What we are seeing now is more of a systemic infiltration of the country and not an individual problem,” he added.
Dr Aning said it was because of such failures and weaknesses that the foreign partners had decided to ward off the drug trade by guarding their waters and the West African coast from use by the drug lords.
He suggested that targets should be set for security institutions to deal with the problem and the government should be ready to hire and fire and people found to be connected in drug business should be imprisoned if need be.
He also called for a legislation to empower the security agencies to deal drastically with drug dealers when caught so as to send strong signals that the country was serious about its commitment to dealing with the problem.
He urged churches and traditional leaders to declare a month each year for public education on drugs.
According to him, while people, including churches and chiefs, were currently adoring wealth and commending people for building schools and other projects for them, if they did not question the source of the funds, the country would begin to reap the rewards of the drug business in the next 10 years.
“Already, the outline is there for all to see. The use of macho men and drug addicts everywhere would be worse,” he said, adding that if nothing was done the country that everyone cherished as a stable and peaceful one would be dominated by gangsterism, drug addicts, among others.
IGP allays fears of Nigerian fans
Page 3: February 2, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Patrick Acheampong, has given assurance of adequate security for all football fans, irrespective of their nationality, as the Ghana 2008 tournament progresses.
He said there would be enough security personnel before, during and after matches to protect lives and property and ensure that the serenity of the games was not marred.
Mr Acheampong gave the assurance in an interview yesterday following fears expressed by some Nigerian fans that they would be attacked by their Ghanaian counterparts if the Super Eagles managed to defeat the Black Stars of Ghana.
Reporters from three Nigerian television stations and a newspaper house went to the Police Headquarters on Thursday to interview the acting Director of Police Public Affairs, DSP Kwesi Ofori, on security arrangements to protect Nigerian fans, particularly during and after the match.
Mr Acheampong urged the Nigerian fans to feel at home, as they had always felt in Ghana, since their safety was guaranteed.
He appealed to football fans not to do anything that would disturb the peaceful atmosphere that the tournament had enjoyed so far, saying that any acts of lawlessness would not be tolerated by the security agencies.
The IGP said the comportment of the fans so far had been very good and urged them to continue.
Mr Acheampong also used the opportunity to debunk complaints that tickets for the match had been hijacked by Nigerian fans and reminded the fans that the stadium had a capacity of 40,000 and could, therefore, not accommodate spectators in excess of that.
The IGP urged those who would not get access to the stadium to patronise the large television screens provided at various points.
Mr Acheampong appealed to soccer fans not to carry any fire crackers to the stadium, saying thorough searches would be conducted on fans who entered the stadium to ensure that they did not enter with any offensive material.
He said indiscriminate parking and sale of merchandise by unlicensed persons would also not be tolerated.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Patrick Acheampong, has given assurance of adequate security for all football fans, irrespective of their nationality, as the Ghana 2008 tournament progresses.
He said there would be enough security personnel before, during and after matches to protect lives and property and ensure that the serenity of the games was not marred.
Mr Acheampong gave the assurance in an interview yesterday following fears expressed by some Nigerian fans that they would be attacked by their Ghanaian counterparts if the Super Eagles managed to defeat the Black Stars of Ghana.
Reporters from three Nigerian television stations and a newspaper house went to the Police Headquarters on Thursday to interview the acting Director of Police Public Affairs, DSP Kwesi Ofori, on security arrangements to protect Nigerian fans, particularly during and after the match.
Mr Acheampong urged the Nigerian fans to feel at home, as they had always felt in Ghana, since their safety was guaranteed.
He appealed to football fans not to do anything that would disturb the peaceful atmosphere that the tournament had enjoyed so far, saying that any acts of lawlessness would not be tolerated by the security agencies.
The IGP said the comportment of the fans so far had been very good and urged them to continue.
Mr Acheampong also used the opportunity to debunk complaints that tickets for the match had been hijacked by Nigerian fans and reminded the fans that the stadium had a capacity of 40,000 and could, therefore, not accommodate spectators in excess of that.
The IGP urged those who would not get access to the stadium to patronise the large television screens provided at various points.
Mr Acheampong appealed to soccer fans not to carry any fire crackers to the stadium, saying thorough searches would be conducted on fans who entered the stadium to ensure that they did not enter with any offensive material.
He said indiscriminate parking and sale of merchandise by unlicensed persons would also not be tolerated.
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