Sammy Gyamfi Welcomes Mahama’s Directive to Restore NACOC to Ghana’s Port Inspection Agencies

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has welcomed President John Dramani Mahama’s directive to restore the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to Ghana’s list of Port Inspection Agencies.

Mr. Gyamfi expressed his support in a post on Facebook, following a recent report of a drug bust in another jurisdiction involving narcotics reportedly traced to one of Ghana’s ports.

According to him, the incident raises concerns about the effectiveness of Ghana’s monitoring and inspection systems at its ports and highlights the need to strengthen measures against narcotics trafficking.

Mr. Gyamfi noted that NACOC, the institution responsible for monitoring, regulating, enforcing and controlling narcotics trafficking in Ghana, was removed from the list of Port Inspection Agencies in June 2018.

He said the decision weakened NACOC’s ability to carry out effective inspection activities at the country’s ports.

“While it is unclear what may have informed that decision in 2018, it is clear that the said decision weakened NACOC’s port inspection function,” Mr. Gyamfi stated.

He welcomed the decision to restore NACOC to the list of Port Inspection Agencies, saying the move would give the commission access to Ghana’s entry and exit points by air, land and sea.

According to him, such access would strengthen efforts to detect, intercept and prevent the trafficking of narcotics through Ghana.

Mr. Gyamfi also disclosed that President Mahama has directed that scanners and personnel at the country’s ports be changed with immediate effect.

He expressed confidence in NACOC, under the leadership of Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, to contribute significantly to the fight against illicit trafficking if the commission receives the necessary support.

“As someone, who has closely worked with the Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey-led NACOC in fighting gold-smuggling, I am confident that with the necessary support, the NACOC will succeed in stemming this tide,” he said.

Mr. Gyamfi said the measures, if effectively implemented, could strengthen inspection and security controls at Ghana’s ports and help prevent similar incidents in the future.

The development is expected to place renewed focus on Ghana’s port security systems and the role of NACOC in combating the trafficking of illicit drugs through the country’s borders.