Politicians behind drugs in Ghana – NACOB boss

Executive Director of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) Yaw Akrasi Sarpong has staged a scathing attack on politicians as those behind the abuse of marijuana and alcohol in the country.

Mr Sarpong contends that some may not use the hard drugs but make them available to others for their own ulterior motives.

Speaking on TV3’s Hot Issues over the weekend, the NACOB Executive Director cited the mobilization of spontaneous demonstrators by politicians as influenced by the provision of illicit drugs.

“Many people who are mobilized for large scale demonstrations on the spur of the moment,” he said, “particularly to play politics [are all under the influence of] alcohol and marijuana.”

‘Atemuda, Jordan or Under’

Mr Sarpong said the situation is becoming dangerous as most politicians are taking advantage of this.

“If any politician will use alcohol and marijuana or not necessarily use them or know people who will normally, for being daring, go and smoke marijuana and drink akpeteshie on top or go and take Atemuda or Jordan or Under, that is a very dangerous situation.”

The NACOB boss has consistently called for the decriminalization of the use of drugs as he argues there are numerous medical benefits.

He blamed politicians especially members of Parliament (MPs) for not leading the debate on the legalization of marijuana, popularly referred to as wee.

“In this country, we have seen a politician of a ruling party arrested for drugs before,” he cited as one of the hypocritical stance of politicians, stressing that his colleagues justified his wealth by saying the politician in question provided bicycles for his constituents.

“All that it means is that people know people involved in drugs whose monies in one way or the other helps in somebody’s campaign. And that is very dangerous.”