The President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi, has called for stronger measures to address the widespread use and abuse of tramadol, marijuana and other readily accessible drugs in the country.
According to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the abuse of these substances is having a devastating impact on the country’s youth, which requires greater attention.
Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi argue that the fight against drugs should not focus solely on cocaine and other high-profile narcotics, but must also address substances easily accessible in communities.
Speaking to Citi News, Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi stated, “In our villages and towns, we know the young men and women have taken to drugs—tramadol, ‘Red’, marijuana—and this is destroying many, many young men and women”.
“You should not concentrate only on drugs like cocaine, which is used, but not as massively as marijuana, tramadol, ‘Red’ and other similar drugs that are readily available on the shelves, and young people just go for it,” he stated.
He further called for stronger laws and enforcement measures to restrict the importation and illegal sale of such substances.
“They should make laws to ban the importation of these drugs and ensure that they are cleared away from the shelves,” he said.
The Catholic Bishops’ call forms part of their broader concerns about the growing drug menace, urging authorities to strengthen enforcement against the illegal supply of drugs.
In related news, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, a Senior aide to NPP flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has told Kwakye Ofosu and the John Mahama government to reject Ghana’s cocaine coast label through concrete action and not their words.
In a Facebook post, Miracles Aboagye boldly told Felix Kwakye Ofosu that simply rejecting the description would not address the concerns arising from recent major drug trafficking cases linked to Ghana.
According to Miracles Aboagye, Ghana’s cocaine coast description was not based on cocaine seizures made by Ghanaian authorities but due to the scale and frequency of consignments reportedly passing through Ghana before being intercepted.
Miracles Aboagye, in his Facebook post, wrote, “You know very well your mouth alone isn’t enough to reject a name earned by action.
And you also know, the name ” Cocaine Coast ” wasn’t earned based on any busts in Ghana.
Ghana is now being named the Cocaine Coast as a result of unprecedented, historic, large quantities of cocaine that passed through our ports right before the eyes of this government and security operatives and then eventually were arrested on foreign lands.
Our government allowed the cocaine to enter the country and leave the country without any arrest. Not once, not twice, but about 7 different ones within 20months.
We can reject the name by action and not speaking.
You get??”.
Miracles Aboagye comments followed Kwakye Ofosu’s rejection of the “Cocaine Coast” label.
The Government Spokesperson claimed that drug seizures and arrests by Ghanaian security agencies demonstrate that the country’s anti-narcotics institutions are working.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, however, acknowledged concerns over consignments that evade Ghanaian authorities and are intercepted abroad.
@ghnow_ Augustine Okechukwu Maazi Arrives at Accra Circuit Court for Labone GCB Attempted Robbery Case #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – Paakow💰🕊
@ghnow_ Augustine Okechukwu Maazi has arrived at the Accra Circuit Court for the continuation of proceedings in the Labone GCB attempted robbery case. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – ADAAMAINA
