The Deputy Executive Secretary of the Narcotic Control Board, Mr Emmanuel Agyarko, has blamed the judiciary for the increase in illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse in the country. He alleged that none of the suspects arrested by the police and officials of the board in connection with various drug abuses last year were convicted by the courts.
Addressing the Ashanti regional House of Chiefs in Kumasi on Monday, Mr Agyarko who could not however, give the number of drug related cases sent to court last year, said some of the courts granted bail as low as four million cedis to suspected cocaine traffickers who were arrested at the airports with cocaine valued several billions of cedis.
He noted that while some of the cases "died" slowly, other suspects were clandestinely made to jump bail, adding that the "attitude of some of the judges often frustrated the efforts of the board in carrying out its mandate".
Mr Agyarko alleged that the board had written several memos and petitions to the Chief Justice and the Attorney-General on the issue but to no avail. Ghana was gradually being classified as one of the biggest transit points for narcotic drugs in the world, he observed and appealed to the chiefs to support the board in its efforts.
He observed that the social and economic implications in drug trafficking and illicit use were very enormous and hinted that 20 students drop out from the country's universities every year due to the substance abuse.
He said various methods and educational campaigns have been used, especially in the senior secondary schools and district assemblies to press home the dangers of the drug menace, but little had been achieved.
It is therefore necessary to involve chiefs who had unique positions in society to support the campaign. Mr Agyarko called on the chiefs to include drug abuse campaign education in their daily programmes to educate the people on the issue.
