Manasseh Azure Awuni, an Investigative journalist, has fired shots at the Majority in parliament over their attempts to shift blame on the recent cocaine seizures to a policy introduced under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
According to Manasseh Azure, the Mahama administration had been in office for nearly two years and should therefore take responsibility for addressing weaknesses within the country’s security and narcotics control system.
He argued that any attempts to shift blame to the opposition NPP former government will not wash, as the NDC government are now in charge.
In a Facebook post, Manasseh Azure Awuni wrote, “You have been in office for nearly two years. Granted that there was a flawed policy at the port that affected vigilance over drugs, as you claim, the officials you appointed over a year ago should have assessed and realised the gaps.
Don’t create the impression that your security advisors and narcotics officials are dumb, that they could not diagnose the gaps until foreigners started busting drug shipments from Ghana.
Blaming the NPP for the drug menace is unacceptably lame. You were elected to fix the problems you said the NPP was incapable of fixing.
You told us that you had better ideas and solutions for our nation’s challenges. You told us to reject the NPP so that your superior ideas and solutions could be implemented.
After nearly two years in office, you are responsible for fixing the shipment drug problem. You can’t take credit for the positive developments and blame the NPP for the lapses under your watch.
It doesn’t make sense to continue to blame the NPP when you’re in charge of the entire national security architecture of the nation.
The politicisation of the drugs problem is nauseating, but those of us who have followed the politics of the Fourth Republic remember those who championed it in the past. We remember how the NPP was called a cocaine party. So, the politics may not end today.
As for the real issues, President Mahama and the NDC administration are responsible for solving the problem we have now.
Do not shift blame to the opposition. It will not wash. They are not in charge. You are”.
His comment follows the Majority press briefing in Parliament in September where they claimed the recent narcotics seizures were connected to a 2018 decision that excluded the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) from mandatory joint inspections at the Tema Port.
The Majority argued that the decision had weakened NACOC’s ability to monitor cargo passing through Ghana’s busiest port.
Also, Deputy Majority Leader Kweku Ricketts-Hagan has said the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) government were fighting 21st-century drug lords with 1970s technology.
According to Ricketts-Hagan, the former NPP government was fighting drug-related cases with outdated technology.
Addressing the press on Thursday, September 24, the Majority made this known to Ghanaians.
Also, the 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.
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@ghnow_ A woman reportedly cursed a mate following a disagreement over transport fare amid the recent increase in fares. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Organisers of the Ghana CEO & Industrial Awards have honoured the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mrs. Patience Baffoe-Bonnie (Esq.), for her service and contributions to the country. #GHNow #GhanaCEOAwards #fyp ♬ original sound – Scott_lyrics
