Security expert, Dr Kwesi Aning has told the Weekend World that West Africa will be bombarded with illicit drugs (cocaine, heroine, marijuana) in the coming years, as drug trafficking groups have become too powerful. He said “In a number of neighbouring countries there is serious collusion between those in power and those trafficking. I’ve just come back from Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso and it is getting out of hand”. Dr Aning explained that collusion meant those in power dealing with criminals. “This makes it very dangerous for those who want to prevent drug trafficking genuinely. If you’re an ordinary law enforcement officer who wants to do your job well and people in powerful places are in collusion, your life and job are in danger,” he said. He pointed out that “In Ghana we are far from doing well, there is a lot of work that has to be done. If government is serious, it should give the people more cash, better training,

the law must be revised, there should be better incentives, and establish a financial intelligence unit that allows us to control all suspicious transactions.” Reacting to claims by the Narcotics Control Board that there has been a reduction in the drug trade by about 45%, Dr. Kwesi Aning said, “there is the need to look at the actuals; how many kilos of cocaine have been seized this year as against last year. Although you’ve done fewer arrests, you may actually have ceased considerably more, meaning that the attractiveness of Ghana as both a transit and redistribution country is still very high”.

He said fighting drugs is not just about seizures, but preventive activities, equipping NACOB, ensuring judges know how to use the law and ensuring that exhibits don’t get lost or adulterated. The judiciary must be properly trained, better intelligence used, drug prevention schemes must be initiated and PNDC Law 236 improved.

Dr Aning said, no country in West Africa can respond to the challenge alone; there should be concerted multilateral efforts to ensure the menace is controlled.

He said NACOB should not give government the impression it is doing well; as it needs more funding. “By claiming that drug offences have reduced this year, NACOB has actually undermined itself. They should rather be requesting for more resources from the Government to fight the trade” he concluded.