Samuel Koku Anyidoho, the former Director of Communications at the Office of the late President John Evans Atta Mills, Samuel Koku Anyidoho has said he is ashamed over the recent cocaine seizure linked to Ghana after he recalled how he and the NDC used drug-related incidents to attack the former President John Agyekum Kufuor.
According to Koku Anyidoho, he tagged John Agyekum Kufuor as ‘cocaine coast’ president, but he is now ashamed.
Koku Anyidoho recounted that between 2006 and 2008, he played a leading role in the NDC’s communication surrounding the MV Benjamin cocaine scandal and the ‘Limping Man’ incident.
He recounted that the NDC at the time mounted pressure on President Kufuor and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), branding them of turning Ghana into a “cocaine coast”.
Speaking in a video shared on TikTok, Koku Anyidoho stated, “To be frank, between 2006 and 2008, when I was the Director of Communications for Candidate Atta Mills’ campaign team, President Kufuor was in office. During that period, there was the MV Benjamin cocaine scandal and the ‘Limping Man’ incident. I was at the forefront of those issues, and we did not take it easy on President Kufuor.
“As part of our political communication strategy, I was the one who came up with the idea that we should tag President Kufuor as having turned Ghana into a cocaine coast and it worked,” he said.
He further reflected on Ghana’s current situation, admitting that he is particularly concerned because the NDC, which previously criticised the NPP over drug-related scandals, is now at the centre of major cocaine shipments that are traced to Ghana.
Koku Anyidoho stated the development is painful for him because of the party’s previous stance on the issue.
He stated, “And so this current cocaine thing, it hurts me on that side of the political divide that the party that fought cocaine sometime ago and now under our dispensation, this kind of thing is happening”.
Koku Anyidoho also questioned whether the individuals arrested or identified in connection with the shipment represent the full extent of the network involved.
He argued that moving such a large quantity of cocaine through a container would require the involvement of several people at different stages.
According to him, authorities must look beyond those who may have been directly apprehended and investigate the wider network.
“Smuggling drugs is not easy. To smuggle almost four tonnes, put it in a container and have it leave the country means there must be a chain involved. It cannot be the work of one person; there is a chain,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Builsa North, James Agalga, has said the sharp increase in recent narcotics arrests and seizures is due to strategic measures introduced by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and other security agencies under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.
James Agalga disclosed that NACOC recorded a significant rise in enforcement activities in 2025 compared with the previous year.
The Majority leader revealed that NACOC recorded 73 arrests nationwide in 2024, which was its highest annual enforcement figure at the time, adding that the number increased to 217 arrests across 165 cases in 2025.
According to him, the 197% increase reflected stronger enforcement operations and improved inter-agency collaboration.
The majority leader also disclosed that narcotics seizures also increased in 2025, with 1,497.75 kilogrammes of narcotic substances seized at an estimated street value of US$5.24 million.
He further revealed that asset-based enforcement operations resulted in the seizure of GH¢6.93 million and US$440,382 in cash, as well as 19.72 kilogrammes of gold allegedly linked to suspected drug money laundering.
James Agalga added that NACOC had increased its District Commands from fewer than 10 to 77, extending the Commission’s presence to all 16 regions.
The Majority leader stated, “In 2024, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) recorded 73 arrests nationwide. Then the Commission’s most productive enforcement year on record under this government. NACOC enforcement operations in 2025 produced 217 arrests across 165 cases, an increase of 197 per cent.
So let’s compare the figures: 73 arrests versus 217 arrests across 165 cases. And in percentage terms, we are looking at a 197 per cent increase between the arrests effected in 2024 and the arrests effected in 2025.”
He stated, “The 2025 performance was due to the concrete institutional changes this government has put in place”.
Watch the video below:
@tina_news_gh LIVE NOW | Samuel Koku Anyidoho, reacts to the alleged cocaine saga, sharing his perspective on the ongoing controversy and the issues surrounding the case.
♬ original sound – Tina News Gh
@ghnow_ The Majority Leader says the Mahama administration has more than doubled the staff strength of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) as part of efforts to strengthen the fight against illicit drugs. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ The Mahama administration has added 25 vehicles to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) as part of efforts to strengthen its operations and retool the agency in the fight against illicit drug trafficking. The government has also restored NACOC’s involvement in port inspections. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
