Stop politicizing drug trafficking in Ghana -NACOB Boss

Executive Secretary of the Narcotics Control Board, Mr Yaw Akrasi Sarpong, has called for the depoliticization of matters relating to drugs in the quest to fight against drug trafficking.

Speaking on e.tv Ghana’s flagship programme, Awake, he noted that “is important that this matter of drugs is depolicticized and nobody should take the credit.”

Mr Akrasi Sarpong said law enforcement agents were to take credit for the fight against drug trafficking and accused politicians of benefiting from the sweat of those law enforcement agents.

He said, “I have said elsewhere that politicians ought not to be the beneficiaries of state resources more than law enforcement agents. Where in a country and in Africa do politicians cream off resources and live better and more comfortable than law enforcement agents”

“We’ve got it all wrong. They are not tin gods. They need law enforcement agencies to stay in power. And they ought to recognize them. And for me that is the key thing. It starts from policy,” he added.

As the world celebrates World Drug Day today (June 26, 2012), Mr Akrasi Sarpong reiterated the board’s commitment to fight against drug trafficking, adding that, “We shouldn’t give them (drug traffickers) the confidence that they can defeat a whole state apparatus. Because if they do, then we will have a failing state and everybody will then go haywire.”

When host, Rashida Nasamu sought clearance on the issue of drug barons, their networks and how the board was fighting these “strong” men and women, Mr Akrasi Sarpong noted that, “There are no barons in Ghana. Who gave them the credit? There are no barons here. They are just small players who don’t think correctly and are just being used as pawns. But it is important that even those small key players, we are dismantling them. We don’t need to make a lot of noise.”

He added that, “Let them not boast that they are barons and we are downplaying it. They are not barons. They are just tools in the hands of big time players in Latin America. They make the money and some of them build big houses but really, it is quite painful because we know the networks and I’m saying that those guys who have escaped the scrutiny of law enforcement agents have relocated and are living comfortably outside.”

Mr Akrasi Sarpong confidently stated that many of the drug cartels know that they are on the radar and have therefore relocated their focal point of their work for the moment.

He said the refocus was due to the fact that the Narcotics Control Board has entered into greater corporations with other international partners, which he said, “are yielding fruits.”