Unite in fight against drug menace

Page 14: May 12, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, has called for a united front to help the country deal with the drug scourge.
He said no single agency, individual or country could single-handedly solve the drug problem hence the need for unity and collaboration to deal with the menace.
Making the call through the Daily Graphic at the weekend, Nana Boahen said it was because no single country or agency could fight the drug menace alone that the United Nations emphasised on collaboration.
He stated that the drug problem was a worldwide phenomenon not peculiar to Ghana alone.
“It is the number one problem in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany and many others. Almost every country is facing serious challenges with the drug menace. It is not peculiar to Ghana alone,” he stated.
Nana Boahen said it was, therefore, erroneous for anybody or organisation to think or say that Ghana was a fertile ground for drug trafficking because the government was doing nothing to stem the problem.
“It is never true that the government is not serious in fighting the drug problem. It is the present government that has put in so much into the present Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) building, restructured the organisation and employed more personnel to help fight the menace,” he added.
Nana Boahen said the allegation that drug barons were having a field day in the country was also false, stating that “they can turn themselves into drug barons and I can assure you, they would regret that decision”.
He explained that it was because the government acknowledged the problem in the country that it decided to collaborate with other foreign countries to help deal with it.
Nana Boahen cited Operation Westbridge, which was a government of Ghana and the United Kingdom’s collaboration to check the menace.
He said between February 2 and May 6, 2008, 25 persons were arrested for dealing in drugs including the interception of unaccompanied Indian hemp at the Kotoka International Airport.
He said it was bad for politicians to score political points by saying that Ghana had become a fertile ground for drug barons to operate.
“If you think Ghana is a haven for drugs go into it. I assure them that they will be smoked out,” he stated.