FROM: WILLIAM NANA YAW BEEKO, NETWORK ORGANIZER, GHANA ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING JOURNALISTS NETWORK, E-mail:bromzy2002@yahoo.com

There is no hell of a doubt that there is a looming danger so far as the drug trade is concerned, with the continued stay of the Executive Secretary of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Mr. Yaw Akrasi Sarpong, in office.
What this means is that we are not safe one bit from the deleterious effects of the drug trade right under the watch of Akrasi Sarpong; who has so far exhibited ineptitude at the highest order.
The NACOB Boss after series of reports on the recent Cannabis seizure at the Heathrow Airport in London openly admitted the huge security lapses that led to the illegal operation.
The drugs, which weighed around 1.5 tonnes and had a street value of £4.3 million, were found in three separate freight containers filled with fresh fruit and vegetables.
Taking blame for lapses which led to the seizure of huge quantities of marijuana and cocaine from Ghana on two occasions, Mr. Akrasi Sarpong revealed that he was considering resigning because his men failed him “and their actions marred the image of NACOB.”
Please see http://www.modernghana.com/news/421212/1/im-ready-to-resign-nacob-boss.html.
He described the development as a big dent on the image of his outfit and went on to take full responsibility of what happened.
The Ghana Anti-Money Laundering Journalists Network therefore finds his continued stay in office as the NACOB Boss highly incomprehensible. This is because no serious country would entertain this joke at all from the NACOB.
In any case, he admitted that his most trusted officials failed him; not only that but including the systems he had put in place.
Mr. Akrasi Sarpong has been tried, tested and proven to be very incompetent hence he must resign in his own interest and in the interest of the government he is serving.
The Ghana Anti-Money Laundering Journalists Network thinks it is high time the NACOB boss realized drug barons do not operate on radio stations but are in league with his most trusted officials within his corridor.
It is only in Ghana that Akrasi Sarpong would admit a security lapse and will continue to enjoy his post. From all indications, one cannot do this in any advanced country and the rest of the western world. As a matter of fact, you would be booted out outright!
Over here in this part of our world, it is a different ball game altogether because citizens hardly take on top officials for their ineptitude.
We have celebrated and given so much prominence to mediocrity and we would continue to pay the price if the trend is not made to change.

NOTE:
THE GHANA ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING JOURNALISTS NETWORK is a Chapter of the GIABA-ECOWAS NETWORK OF WEST AFRICAN JOURNALISTS AGAINST MONEY LAUNDERING
It was formed on Thursday, May, 27th 2010 at the Shehu Musa Yar’ Adua Conference Centre in Abuja capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria during a GIABA world press conference and open house and interactive session with media executives from West Africa and other dignitaries from the sub-regional body.
It included senior editors and journalists from Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia, Senegal, Togo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde among other West African countries to form a regional media alliance to wage massive crusade against money laundering and terrorism financing.
It is meant to empower journalists and media practitioners to crusade against trans-national organized crimes.
The aim of the media network is to recognize the crucial role of the media in the fight against money laundering and financing of terrorism hence building the capacity of journalists to report well on issues pertaining to money laundering and terrorism financing.