Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, the Interior Minister, has disclosed that the government is considering an Executive Order to make drug testing mandatory for employment in both the public and private sectors.
According to the Interior Minister, the proposed measure is aimed at promoting workplace safety and discouraging drug use among the youth.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on June 25, 2026, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka stated, “Introduce an executive order that makes mandatory drug tests as a pre-employment requisite for entry into the public service and the private sector to safeguard institutional integrity, promote workplace safety, and deter drug use among the youth and working population”.
“Mr Speaker, effective drug control is not solely a law enforcement matter. It demands a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach that integrates enforcement with prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation,” he stated.
The Interior Minister added, “I call on this House to support the government in considering the following priorities: oversight, very effectively, the budgetary allocation to close critical capacity gaps in intelligence, interception, and forensic analysis.
“Strengthen the regulatory framework for precursors, chemicals, and the pharmaceutical supply chain to curb the diversion of substances like tramadol. Establish national rehabilitation centers, particularly one in every region, to meet the needs of Ghanaians suffering from substance use disorders,” he continued.
“Expand drug education and demand reduction programs in schools, communities, and workplaces targeting youth who remain most vulnerable,” he stated.
“Mr Speaker, the global consensus has increasingly affirmed that drug addiction is first and foremost a public health issue and not simply a criminal one,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has appealed to teachers and school authorities across the country to monitor students and also search their bags to curb drug abuse.
The Education Ministry called on Teachers to intensify surveillance of students amid growing concerns over the presence of drugs in schools.
Dr Clement Apaak, the Deputy Minister for Education, expressed concern about the growing use of opioids and tramadol among young people.
According to him, the government is collaborating with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service to help tackle the canker.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Wednesday, June 24, Dr Clement Apaak stated, “So, within our context, what we are doing through the Ghana Education Service and the Ghana TVET Service is to call on teachers to be very vigilant in monitoring the behaviours of their learners. And if necessary, they should search their bags.
“And remember that since we took over the reins of governance, as part of our efforts to re-instill discipline in our educational system, we have given managers of our secondary institutions, in particular, the full authority to search the luggage and other bags and trunks and chop boxes that students bring and have in their dormitories,” he said.
In related news, Five Central University students have been arrested by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) for allegedly operating a cannabis distribution network on campus.
Reports suggest the suspects include Level 100, Level 300, and Level 400 students.
According to reports, the five were picked up after an intelligence gathered on illicit drug activities within the university community.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the students were allegedly engaged in the production and sale of cannabis-infused ice cream, sobolo, toffees, pepper, and eggs, while also dealing in raw cannabis.
NACOC officials seized suspected narcotic substances during the operation, which have since been forwarded for forensic examination. Investigations are ongoing.
Watch the video below:
Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, Minister for the Interior, says government is considering an Executive Order to make drug testing mandatory for employment in both the public and private sectors.
— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) June 25, 2026
The proposed measure is aimed at promoting workplace safety and discouraging drug use… pic.twitter.com/PuRaBmLBsJ
