Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has declared the escalating drug crisis a national emergency, warning that the country is facing a silent but dangerous war driven by powerful trafficking networks and weakened by institutional setbacks.
The grim assessment came during a working visit by Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee to NACOC’s headquarters, where the Commission’s leadership laid bare a raft of logistical and security challenges hampering their ability to combat drug crimes effectively.
Dr. Basha Ligbi, Head of NACOC’s Research Bureau, cited malfunctioning airport scanners, overcrowded detention centres, dilapidated vehicles, and inadequate office infrastructure as key operational bottlenecks. He urged lawmakers to designate the Commission’s premises a security zone, citing growing threats from encroachers and high-rise developments springing up around the facility.
In a stark warning, NACOC’s Director General, Brigadier General Maxwell Obiba Mantey, likened the evolving narcotics networks to armed robbery syndicates, noting that some have infiltrated influential sectors of society. “This is no longer a peripheral issue. Drug trafficking poses a national security threat,” he said. “Our officers are the frontline defenders in a silent war.”
He called for emergency institutional support, morale-boosting measures, and improved logistics to equip NACOC for the battle ahead.
Chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee and MP for Builsa North, James Agalga, commended the Commission’s commitment despite the odds and pledged to push their demands to the floor of Parliament.
The visit marks a renewed legislative interest in Ghana’s fight against narcotics, as the country grapples with its growing reputation as a transit hub in global drug trafficking routes.
With calls growing louder for immediate reforms and strategic investments, NACOC’s declaration signals a turning point in the national drug control conversation.
