Parliament to summon NACOB boss over drug trafficking

Parliament Select Committee on Defence and Interior says it will summon officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) to answer questions on security related issues at the Kotoka International Airport.

The intended meeting comes on the heels of recent reports about some Ghanaian drug barons busted in the USA, who used the airport as a conduit.

Chairman of Parliament’s Select Committee on Defence and Interior, George Arthur told Joy News in the wake of the drug brouhaha, the Committee was yet to hear from the NACOB.

He disclosed that those in charge of NACOB would be invited to give account of the drug situation in the country and at the airport in particular.

“We have not received any report from them as to what they have done about the issue (recent arrest), whether they have made some revelations or they have made some moves about it. So we need to invite the board and listen to them first.”

Mr Arthur said the committee had planned to meet the Minister of Interior last week, but the minister could not make it due to a cabinet meeting he had to attend.

Mr Arthur told Joy News barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Committee will meet the minister on Tuesday, and later schedule a meeting with the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies.

He said the committee will also support any bipartisan investigations into the drug menace in the country.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Information, Murtala Mohammed, has assured that the government will not renege on its responsibility to make the drug business unprofitable to persons who want to indulge in it.

He strongly disagreed that the airport security has been compromised, emphasizing that all arrests affected had “tremendous” collaboration from the security in Ghana.

Nevertheless, he conceded that, as a human institution, there could be some lapses at the airport.

He insisted that the country’s security agencies should be commended for their unwavering fight against the drug menace, and should be empowered to do more.

For him, it will be too “simplistic” for anyone to suggest a bipartisan investigation into the recent drug-related arrests; he rather prefers a "holistic" investigation.

He also ridiculed claims by the opposition NPP that a Ghanaian drug baron arrested in May, Solomon Adelaquaye, was a financier of the ruling NDC.

“That statement cannot stand the test of time,” he said, questioning why the NDC would want to give out a financier of the party.