Africa-Press – Ghana. Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has called for support for the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and its allied institutions by providing the essential tools, training, and resources necessary to stay ahead of evolving drug-related threats.
She said the rapidly changing tactics of narcotics traffickers demanded proactive support from the government, individual, security agencies, corporate bodies and various drug-related institutions.
The Vice President was speaking at the commemoration of the 2025 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, also known as the “World Drug Day” on the theme: “The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention,” in Accra.
Prof Opoku-Agyemang said since the declaration of the World Drug Day by the United Nations General Assembly in 1987, Ghana had demonstrated her resolve to stem the tide of drug abuse and dismantled the networks of trafficking and organised crime that sustained it.
She said Ghana has also made significant gains in the fight against conventional narcotic drugs such as cocaine, heroin and cannabis through demand and supply reduction interventions.
“However, today, we face a more complex challenge as drug trafficking and organized crime syndicates have shifted to include synthetic opioids,” she added.
The Vice President quoted the 2024 World Drug Report, which indicated that 292 million people globally used drugs as of 2022, with 64 million battling drug use disorders, adding that these numbers were deeply troubling and served as a call to action.
She commended the NACOC with international partners for their dedication in the seizure of large volumes of illicit substances, the destruction of over 16 metric tons of seized narcotic drugs, and dismantling criminal syndicates within Ghana, across West Africa, and in Europe.
Prof Opoku-Agyemang emphasized that while traffickers were pursued and their networks disrupted, there was the need not to neglect the individuals and communities who suffered the consequences of addiction.
“Addressing substance use disorders requires compassion. That is why the directive from the Honourable Minister for Interior to operationalise the Substance Use Disorder Rehabilitation Fund, as provided in the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020, is a commendable move.
“We need cooperation to prevent the threats of drug trafficking and organized crime. If we are to build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Ghana, we must all recognize the urgency of this issue,” she added.
Brigadier-General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, the Director-General of NACOC, said by strengthening border controls and using intelligence-led operations, the Commission actively disrupted drug networks and made it clear that Ghana is not a safe haven for drug trafficking.
He said prevention was not charity but a key strategy, the smartest, and most cost-effective way to break the cycle of addiction, crime and despair that characterised illicit drug trade and its proliferation.
The Director-General urged the youth not to allow themselves to be deceived, used, or destroyed by the empty promises of those who traded in death and despair.
“Let us move forward with renewed urgency and unshakable purpose, act boldly, invest wisely, and collaborate tirelessly. Together, let us break the cycle. Together, let us invest in prevention. Together, let us secure a drug-free Ghana for generations to come,” he stressed.
Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, chief of Akwamu State (Akwamuhene), said just like the menace of illegal mining, drug abuse posed a public health issue, a security threat, and an obstacle to sustainable development.
He said in many parts of the world, including Ghana, the canker had devastated families, broken communities, and shattered the hopes and ambitions of generations, but it was a challenge that could be overcome together, should the call be heeded to.
Odeneho Akoto III said the Akwamu State had allocated 100 acres of land to enable the NACOC to establish a training school at Akwamu (Aboasa), to train their personnel and other professionals in the fight, and control of Narcotics in Ghana and beyond.
The Akwamuhene, who doubled as the Chairperson for the occasion, commend the tireless efforts of all stakeholders in the fight against drug use and illicit trafficking.
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