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Politics of Thursday, 20 November 2008

Source: Acquah, Henry

Cocaine & Crime Will Boom Under Akufo Addo -NDC

GhanaNot Safe Under Him

The NDC on yesterday declared that Ghana ’s cocaine and crime crisis will worsen if the nation made the mistake of electing Akufo Addo.

“The difference Prof Mills brings to the table is not the Akufo Addo’s empty enunciation of drug policy, but the moral attribute and the track record of his party in government under whose reign, ship loads of cocaine were not vanishing, truckloads of cocaine were not disappearing in police strong room, party executives were not being arrested with narcotics, MPs were not being jailed abroad for dealing in drugs and NDC was not pushing for the deconfiscation of the assets of drug dealers.”

The above submissions were contained in the statement read by the NDC Forum For setting The Records Straight at a press conference held at the party headquarters yesterday.

Addressing the media, the NDC Chief spokesman, Fifi Kwetey stated that Nana Akufo Addo’s track record in office clearly shows that he has no commitment to waging a fight against the drug menace.

“How can Akufo Addo, whose actions and inactions while in office, has opened the floodgates of cocainecracy presume that merely claiming that he would appoint a drug Czar will address the current cocaine crisis?” the NDC queried. The NDC stated that Nana Akufo Addo should first explain to the people of Ghana why he discontinued the Frank Benneh prosecution, deconfiscated the assets of Raymond Amankwah, the notorious international cocaine dealer and failed to prosecute the three NPP drug queens before the nation can start taking his promises about fighting narcotic drug seriously.

Fifi Kwetey also explained that Akufo has provided satisfactory answers to the above questions he should also explain the following:

· Why has his NPP government failed to adhere to Chief Justice Georgina Woode’s recommendation that the IGP Patrick Acheampong be removed from office on account of his close friendship and association with known drug barons?

· Why has his government instead of removing the IGP from office rather chosen to give him a national award?

· Why has his NPP government failed to take a decisive action to clean up the top echelon of the police service who according to the Chief Justice of Ghana, her ladyship Justice Georgina Woode, are not only close associates of known drug barons but are themselves involved?

The NDC affirmed that Prof Mills’ promise of combating the drug menace is golden and anchored on a solid track record of credibility and integrity. “ Ghana has good reason to believe him when he says that under him Ghana will not be allowed to be turned into a subsidiary of drug cartels as had happened over the last eight years.”

The NDC also explained that Prof Mills can be trusted in his pledge to faithfully and diligently discharge all obligations relating to the seizure and forfeiture of assets of convicted drug traffickers, unlike what Akufo Addo has done in the case of Raymond Amankwah.

“Above all, Prof Mills will send a clear signal to all drug dealers and traffickers that his government will be in no hurry to transfer to Ghana prisons persons convicted of narcotic trafficking serving sentences in Thailand and other parts of the world”.