Majority Leader James Agalga has hit back at Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin over allegations surrounding recent illicit drug seizures linked to Ghana.
He accused the Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) of having a questionable record in the fight against drug trafficking.
Hon. Agalga, who responded to Afenyo-Markin during Parliament’s leaders’ media briefing on Tuesday, cited several narcotics-related incidents recorded during the NPP’s time in office to challenge the Minority Leader’s criticism of the government’s handling of the latest cases.
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He argued that the NPP cannot claim superiority over the NDC in the fight against illicit drugs, pointing to past seizures and investigations involving Ghanaian nationals, businesses, and security institutions.
“The NPP cannot win the drug debate with the NDC any day, ever,” Agalga declared.
The Majority leader referred to the seizure of about 399 kilogrammes of cocaine at Prampram in 2008, and also recalled the cocaine shipment involving the vessel MV Benjamin, reiterating that 76 of the 77 parcels of cocaine vanished, leaving only one parcel recovered.
Agalga also cited several reported narcotics seizures between 2017 and 2024, including cases involving the Kotoka International Airport, the Ghana Post facility and foreign nationals arrested in connection with drug trafficking.
He also disclosed that two Gulfstream private jets involved in the trafficking of 45 tonnes of cocaine to Ghana in December 2023 were arrested.
According to him, the airplanes had been confiscated and are parked at the Air Force Base in Accra. He challenged journalists to inspect the planes as part of efforts to establish the facts surrounding the allegation.
Agalga also referred to other narcotics-related cases involving foreign nationals and alleged connections to individuals associated with the previous NPP administration.
The NDC government, he said, has always demonstrated more commitment in the fight against illicit drugs than the NPP, and the records bear proof of that.
The Majority Leader explained that today the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) is being retooled and resourced to strengthen Ghana’s fight against drug trafficking.
NACOC, he said, is being strengthened after years of inadequate resourcing and complete removal from the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
According to him, the agency has been reinstated at the country’s ports as part of efforts to improve monitoring and prevent the movement of illicit drugs through Ghana’s borders.
He indicated that NACOC is working towards expanding its presence across the country, including at the district level, to improve its ability to detect and respond to narcotics-related activities.
The Majority Leader referred to the addition of 81 personnel in the context of efforts to strengthen the agency and called for greater transparency and accountability over the recent incidents, including the Lebanon case.