Government urged to fight drug trafficking

Accra, 25 Jan., GNA - The Ghana Media Advocacy Programme (G-MAP), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, take steps to fight narcotic drug trafficking in the country.

The NGO noted that the most valuable asset of every society was its citizens, and cautioned that drug trafficking if not checked could affect the development of children, who formed the bulk of the country's population.

These were contained in a statement signed by Mr. Kiko Kwabena Smith, Head of Media and External Relations of G-MAP. It warned that the phenomenon and crime in general could gravely undermine the country's socio-economic development programme. The statement pledged the NGO's support for any measures by the authorities to curb narcotic drug trafficking and appealed to other organisations, individuals, and civil society to assist in the fight against the menace.

It called for the reformation of the security agencies, particularly the Ghana Police Service, and the establishment of proactive ethical standards for security personnel to enable them to effectively fight crime.

The statement said narcotic drug cases involving security personnel should be seriously dealt with to maintain or restore public confidence in the law enforcement agencies. It urged the media to continue with its watch dog role to expose crime, especially narcotic drug-related cases. The statement said G-MAP and its partner agency, United Nations African Institute For the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders (UNAFRI), has identified the significant role of the media in fighting narcotic drug trafficking in Ghana through investigative journalism.