Drug trafficking: Awuku questions absence of Transport, Interior ministers from Mahama’s meeting
The Akuapem North legislator, Sammi Awuku, has raised concerns about the absence of key sector ministers from a meeting President John Dramani Mahama has called to assess Ghana’s border-control arrangements and efforts to tackle narcotics trafficking.
At Jubilee House on Thursday, September 17, 2026, President Mahama is scheduled to meet representatives of major security, aviation and port-related agencies. The meeting follows the seizure of almost 3.9 tonnes of cocaine by French customs officials from a container that originated from Ghana
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In a Facebook post on Monday, September 14, the New Patriotic Party MP questioned the decision to invite heads of agencies responsible for border security, ports, aviation and drug control without including the ministers overseeing those institutions.
He particularly pointed to the absence of Joseph Bukari Nikpe, the Minister for Transport, whose ministry supervises the Ghana Maritime Authority, Ghana Shippers Authority and Ghana Airports Company Limited.
“If not, why would the heads of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Ghana Shippers Authority and Ghana Airports Company Limited, all under the Ministry of Transport, be summoned to such a high-level meeting without the Minister for Transport?” he asked.
The MP also drew attention to the absence of the Interior Minister, noting that the Ghana Police Service and Narcotics Control Commission operate under that ministry.
“Similarly, why would the Ghana Police Service and Narcotics Control Commission, both under the Ministry of the Interior, be at the meeting without the Minister responsible for the sector?” he said.
According to Awuku, concerns over Ghana’s alleged role as a route for illegal drugs are too significant to be handled as a public-relations matter. He called for a more coordinated approach to addressing the issue.
“The growing concern about Ghana being used as a transit point for illicit drugs is too serious for us to treat it as an optics exercise,” he said.
He also sought clarity on who would oversee the execution of decisions from the meeting if the ministers directly responsible for the participating agencies were excluded from the discussions.
“After this meeting, who exactly is expected to supervise and drive the implementation of the decisions reached?”
Awuku asked.
The Akuapem North MP warned that excluding the responsible ministers could create an unnecessary additional coordination structure, when those ministers are positioned to provide direct political and administrative supervision.
“Are we creating another layer of coordination when the Ministers who have direct responsibility for these institutions are not at the table?” he asked.
