GOVERNMENT WILL FIGHT DRUG PEDDLERS AT ALL COST

Government Would Fight Drugs Peddlers At All Cost….Kobby Acheampong

By Felix Engsalige Nyaaba

Mr.  Kobby Acheampong, Deputy Minister of Interior, has reiterated government’s determination to fight the drug menace in the country,  no matter how it would cost the nation in order to save  human and economy resources.

According to him, the increasing trend in the illicit production, trafficking and abuse of Narcotic drugs and other psychotropic substance in the country posed a threat to the health and welfare to the Ghanaian populace and government will do everything to make the drug trade unattractive.

 “In recent times, we have been faced with a new and rising phenomenon, the threat of designer drugs in the country and government is leaving no stone unturned to deal with the situation,” he stated.

Mr. Acheampong said these at a graduation   ceremony for 136 trainee officers of the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB), held at the Ghana Immigration Training Academy and School at Assin-Foso in the central region.

He said, government is genuinely committed to tackle the drug menace and has raised the standard and bar for tackling the menace both in terms of supply, control and demand reduction.

He bemoaned the increasing  level of illicit  drug use in the country, stressing that in the past, it was limited to the cities and urban centre, but has recently gained roots in the rural communities which has eating deep into the fabrics of the Ghanaian society, especially in educational institutions which needs to be tackle vigorously .

“ Today drugs abuse has ceased to be an issue only for the big cities but a nationwide canker, it consumption has become  so rampant  in both urban and rural communities and in almost all educational institutions filtering down from tertiary to Junior High Schools,”  he said.

The Executive Secretary of NACOB, Mr. Yaw Akrasi Sarpong, on his part commended the government for supporting the board and charged the trainee to be vigilant in the line of their duties, for the board would not countenance any act of complicity in their work.

 He  further cautioned the  trainee  about the  temptation of financial gains and offer  by the drugs couriers,  saying their work as drug fighters is the most noble   but challenging one  and those who complied  with the principles would be appraise and those who succumbs to the desire for money would be disciplined.

According to Mr. Sarpong,  the board would not yield to any act of complicity by any officer who indulged in an activities  that  would truncate the effort to combat the drug menace , stressing that  there would be  no favoritism  to any trainee who go contrary to the board aims.

 He called for total commitment and dedication by both the board members and trainee staff officers in order to combat the drug menace.

 The Director General of Ghana Immigration Services (GIS), COP (Rtd) Dr. Peter Wiredu, assured the Immigration services’ preparedness to forge internal partnership with all other security services and with NACOB to combat the narcotics trade in the country.

He noted that the youth as future leaders of the country need to be protected from harmful drugs, adding that the indulgence by many Ghanaians into drug trade was borne out of the desire for quick money.

He however, urged the cadet and recruits not to be tempted into the desire for money, but concentrate on their duty as having undergone training on how to figh the menace  and ensure that they protect their fellow Ghanaians from falling into pry of  the drug’s  uses.

Mr. Mark  Ewuntomah ,  Deputy Executive Secretary of  NACOB, who  was the  courses and resources person ,  said the 136 trainees comprised  of  88 recruits and 48 cadet had undergone a six weeks intensive training on drug trafficking and related crimes, basic intelligence procedure, criminal investigation, port interdiction, legislation and international cooperation and musketry and weapons handling.

According to him, the trainee would be deplored to the various NACOB points throughout the country to assist the board to investigate and track down drug couriers and peddlers.

The graduation ceremony was chaired by Rev. Dr. Fred Degbey, member of the NACOB Board and also the general secretary of the Christian council.