Fighting the drug menace in Ghana

Pages 22-23: Daily Graphic, July 23, 2012. Article: Albert K. Salia “Traffickers care very little about the sanctions of the criminal justice system. Going to jail is just part of the cost of doing business. It’s a nuisance, not a deterrent” - Kurt Schmoke, one-time Mayor of Baltimore. IT IS a fact that many countries in the world are struggling with how to fight the drug menace. The drug problem is not peculiar to Ghana. However, many of these nations tailor their efforts at fighting the narcotic menace in a well-co-ordinated direction. They have strategic direction in which they pursue the fight of illicit drug trafficking and abuse. Crucial in this exercise is the enactment of a strong legislation and institutions with the requisite personnel to lead the onslaught against narcotic dealers. This is where Ghana appears to be lacking. As of now, there seem to be a lack of clear direction on a national narcotics strategy and thus, leaving the country at the mercy of the international/donor community whereby government accepts all external intervention programmes without local input. The Kufuor administration had good reasons to make narcotic offences unbailable. This has, however, not seen full implementation. Rather, some suspects have been granted bail and one wonders what might have happened to those cases. For instance, two suspects were granted bail on November 23, 2010 to enable the NACOB officials to travel to Panama to conduct further investigations. The question is, did NACOB officials embark on the trip? What was the outcome of their investigations and have those two suspects been acquitted and discharged or the case still hangs around their necks? A former Deptuy Attorney-General during the Kufuor Administration, Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh was reported to have accused the NACOB Executive Secretary, Mr Yaw Akrasi Sarpong, of turning himself into an advocate for drug traffickers when the court granted the suspects bail. Besides this zig-zag application of the law, there appears to be no sustained development of personnel of NACOB. Although training is provided, the personnel are not motivateed to develop their careers due to their frequent changes and shuffling from one unit to the other. The argument is that such shuffling will prevent personnel from becoming too familiar with the terrain and becoming prone to corruption. But this is not acceptable because the use of a counter-intelligence unit or what the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority has set up, Internal Affairs, could also be replicated in the organisation to deal with corrupt tendencies can help. The current situation where new officers are appointed after every change of government and they have to take two to three years to build their capacity needs further interrogation. The element of uncertainty regarding changes to be made and the notion of “I will never get to the top”, rather fertilise the terrain for corrupt practices. Besides the well-known difficulties in fighting the drug menace, politicisation of the drug issue has assumed the biggest and greatest challenge in Ghana. It is no longer about how the battle is tackled, but which government or political party is really committed to fighting the drug menace. This in itself is not bad especially when political parties make electoral promises on how to deal with the drug menace on assumption of power. However, the way and manner it is carried out is the problem. The issues are not carried out holistically but tainted with party colours. Informing the public about the government’s effort at dealing with the drug situation is very welcome but telling the public how safe the country has become under a regime is not the way out. The debate should be about policy direction. Afterall, the number of arrests made does not indicate how successful a government has been in dealing with the drug menace. That is because the data released could be interpreted from two major perspectives. First, the more arrests made could be interpreted as the effect of an effective security system in place and secondly, as the result of the high prevalence of drugs in the country. Remaining silent on the issue does not also mean that there are no drugs in the country or the dealers see Ghana as a no-go area. That is why the issue of drugs should be dispasstionately looked at and a national policy crafted. The drug problem goes beyond law enforcement. It has demand reduction and treatment and rehabilitation components. These are the issues that should be addressed. That is why the United Nations, in its wisdom advised that combating the drug threat would require “comprehensive and multidisciplinary” strategies to cover programmes aimed at reducing illicit demand, reducing illicit drug cultivation and drug trafficking, prevent the use of financial and banking systems for drug money as well as promoting the effective treatment, rehabilitation and social reintegration. Fortunately, Parliament recently passed the Ghana Mental Health Bill which should be implemented to the letter to ensure that the treatment and rehabilitation component of the drug war is won. When it comes to law enforcement, the main focus should not be about stopping drugs from leaving the airport and coming into the country but it must as well include stopping criminals from enjoying the proceeds from their crime through the confiscation of their assets. While we still struggle with how to deal with cannabis, cocaine and heroin, the latest on the block is Methamphetamine, a white, odorless, crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol.It is taken orally, by snorting the powder or needle injection, or smoking. It is the current moving and most trafficked drug emerging in West Africa with an estimated profit margin higher than cocaine. Recently, two laboratories were shut down in Nigeria for producing methamphetamine. It is suspected that there could be a laboratory in Ghana also producing methamphetamine following the recent arrests of some Ghanaians in Amsterdam, Holland , who had travelled from Accra. As recently as March 21, 2012, three persons were fined by the Accra High Court for attempted exportation of methamphetamine, whose offence is punishable by a fine under our laws. Ghana has a long a way to go in fighting the drug menace and we must all support the Narcotics Control Board in this national assignment. It is not about which government is in power. The ramifications of the drug problem are not bestowed on members of a political party but the nation as a whole. Apart from all that has been said “the drug war in Ghana cannot be fought around Political statements but with professional strategies and structures. If we leave political appointees to tell us what the situation is, we will only get what they want us to believe. The fight suffers from the use of political lenses in the running of the drug control institution; this is why we find ourselves in a stagnant situation. We can decide to do nothing and people will believe we are doing well. After all, the system only gets to talk about the drug situation when there is an arrest. What if we decide not to arrest? It may then mean, there is no drug problem. Or what if we decide to turn a blind eye. There will be no drug seizure reports and as such people will believe we are doing well.

EIU lauds creation of National Enforcement Body

Page 16: Daily Graphic, May 2, 2012. Story: Albert K. Salia THE Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has described the setting up of a National Enforcement Body to monitor adherence to the Code of Conduct for political parties as a positive development for Ghana’s already enviable democratic credentials. The EIU is, therefore, hopeful that with the creation of the body, which has representatives from all sides to monitor and investigate abuses, it could go some way to ensure that the code was followed. In its April report, the EIU said it also gave the body the opportunity to prove that it was a serious institution, stressing that if it, however, “fails to act decisively against blatant breaches of the code, its creation could actually backfire and contribute to the undermining of the election’s legitimacy in the event of widespread scepticism and distrust.” On the government’s decision to boycott the Multi Media Group, the EIU said the decision did the government no favours with the electorate but rather provided an easy target for the opposition groups to claim that the government was acting in contravention of the country’s rights and laws regarding free speech. “That the government backtracked so quickly indicates that the move was probably not fully thought through and the level of criticism it prompted was most likely not expected. Such missteps in an election year serve as a reminder that the ruling party will be vulnerable come December 2012,” it said. It also said that the New Patriotic Party’s accusations of plans by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to rig the December 2012 elections through the manipulating of the biometric register, is setting the “ground for post-electoral attacks by the NPP should it lose the election.” “If this type of rhetoric continues over the coming months, the legitimacy of the election results will be at risk, regardless of whether the polls were free and fair, as so many doubts are being sown within the electorate beforehand,” it said In its April 2012 Monthly Political Scene Review Report on Ghana, the EIU, a UK-based publishing think-tank, noted that in spite of calls for political parties to avoid inflammatory remarks and unfounded accusations, “the opposition, NPP, has been busily accusing the ruling NDC of attempting to rig the December elections through manipulating the biometric voter registration exercise that began in late March”. It said while the Convention People’s Party has expressed its confidence in the registration exercise, “the NPP has accused the NDC of planning to register minors to boost its numbers, as well as ordering its supporters to intimidate NPP members who attempt to register.” According to the EIU, “this type of attack on the registration process before it has even got up to full speed is worryingly symptomatic of the tenor of politics in the country at the moment.” It stated that “Such accusations without proof threaten to undermine public confidence in the election results and lay the ground for post-electoral attacks by the NPP should it lose the election.” Commenting on the establishment of a National Enforcement Body to monitor adherence to the Code of Conduct for Political Parties 2012, the EIU said the institution of the body should be a positive development for Ghana’s already enviable democratic credentials.

INCREASING JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Page 7: Daily Graphic, May 2, 2012 One of the major challenges that have confronted governments over the years is the high unemployment rate and the need to create more jobs. Although the government is the largest employer in the country, it has not been able to address the unemployment problem all alone due to financial constraints and the high demand from various sectors of the economy. It is in this respect that the private sector or the informal sector has been acknowledged as a key partner in job creation and a reduction in the rate of unemployment in the country. No wonder the private sector has often been touted by successive governments as the engine of growth for the national economy and development. As President Mills reiterated at this year’s May Day celebration in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region, the government was determined to provide the necessary support for the private sector to create opportunity for growth and more jobs. However, the sector has not been able to live up to expectation in respect of job creation, mainly because it lacks the financial wherewithal to expand or grow and, consequently, be well positioned to create more jobs. The lack of financial resources is worsened by the unwillingness of commercial banks to offer loans to operators in the private sector. In instances when the banks offer loans, the rates are so high that private sector players are unable to afford or find it extremely difficult to break even. The DAILY GRAPHIC believes it is time for the commercial banks to change their posturing and design a favourable lending regime for the private sector to enable it to complement the government’s efforts at creating jobs for the people. It is very unfortunate that basic products such as toothpicks, toothpaste, matches and fruit juices that can be produced by small-scale industries in the country are all imported. What that means is that by patronising those imported products, we are creating jobs for people in the countries of origin of the products, while worsening the unemployment situation in Ghana. But if the small-scale industries are adequately supported financially to produce such items, they would also develop the capacity to create more jobs. We, therefore, appeal to the commercial banks to extend a helping hand to the private sector. In the same vein, we urge the government to back its commitment to support the private sector with concrete action by creating the enabling environment for growth. It is even more imperative for the government to go a step further by developing the capacity of the private sector to enable it to measure up to international standards and create the requisite jobs. The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that job creation and the fight against unemployment are a shared responsibility and all stakeholders, including the commercial banks, must play their part to ensure success. We hope this year’s May Day celebration will inspire all stakeholders to contribute their quota towards creating more jobs.

PROVIDING SAFETY ON OUR ROADS

Page 7: Daily Graphic, May 3, 2012. ROAD accidents remain a pain in the neck of not only the victims of those accidents who survive them but also their families and the country as a whole. The cost of accidents in respect of losses, time, injury, damage and rehabilitation is so high that everyone wishes there would be fewer accidents. Oftentimes, the bad nature of roads and recklessness on the part of some motorists are blamed for some of the major road accidents. It is in this vein that our governments have always undertaken major road rehabilitation, either by itself or with the assistance of donors, to put the roads in shape to facilitate the easy movement of persons and goods. Many of us have often greeted the inauguration of such roads with joy and happiness. A typical example is the George Walker Bush Highway from the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange to the Mallam Junction Interchange. Unfortunately, a few days after the inauguration of that road, concerns were raised over the safety provisions on that stretch following the death of about 23 people within a spate of two weeks. On Tuesday morning, residents of Mallam woke up to a bizarre accident in which a 40-footer articulated truck overturned from the top to the ground, killing its driver and the mate. That accident appears to be the first of its kind on any of the interchanges or flyovers Ghana has built. We do not think that the accident occurred because the driver was a foreigner and did not know the road very well. After all, a compatriot of his had driven through the same stretch. The Daily Graphic has cause to believe that that stretch of road needs many more road markings and lighting in view of the sharp nature of the interchange. It is true that some of our drivers are careless and overspeed, in spite of the warning signals. But it is also a fact that there are no warning signals to or from either end of the interchange to caution drivers on the dangers ahead. The siting of the directional signs from the Awoshie side of the interchange can be a bother to drivers because of the fact that they are remotely located. It seems our road engineers take some of these markings and warning signs for granted in the construction of our roads. For instance, which of the newly constructed roads has markings for bicycle users? Bicycle riders are seen every day competing with vehicles for the same space. The Daily Graphic believes that the public deserves not only good roads with clear markings but also require more education on road usage. We think the education should not be limited to commercial drivers only but should be started from the basic schools, so that road safety awareness can be inculcated in children from an early age. We think that the department responsible for road maintenance must also endeavour to provide humps, especially at accident-prone areas to compel speeding drivers to slow down. Enforcement of our traffic regulations is also key in preventing and reducing road accidents in the country. The nation and our families deserve better and we think we must all contribute our quota to reduce road accidents.

3 TO STAND TRIAL* For murder of Roko Frimpong, Nii Quartey

Front Page: Daily Graphic, May 3, 2012. Story: Albert K. Salia A bill of indictment is currently being prepared for the prosecution of three suspects who have been implicated in the gruesome murder of Roko Frimpong, a former Deputy Managing Director of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), and Nii Kwaatei Quartey, a retired member of staff of the Public Works Department (PWD), in 2007. The suspects, who are currently on remand, are Samuel McCarthy, William Agbavor and Atta Kakra. They will be tried on two counts of conspiracy to commit murder and murder. Two other persons, identified as Tahiru Adams and Jonathan Abi, alias Joe, have also been implicated but they are said to be on the run. Police investigations have also established that while Nii Quartey’s murder was a contract killing, that of Roko Frimpong occurred when he resisted the demands of members of a robbery gang, some of whom were later contracted to kill Nii Quartey. The Attorney-General’s (A-G’s) Department has also requested for further information and clarification to help establish the involvement of a seventh person (name withheld). The information being demanded is an analysis of the itemised mobile phone bills of one of the suspects and the seventh person. A number of people have been in and out of custody in connection with the two murders since the incident took place within the Tema and Sakumono catchment areas in 2007. However, the Director of Operations of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Frank Kwoffie, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the A-G’s Department had recommended the prosecution of the three persons on remand. He explained that the police would always act on any tangible information provided them but indicated that if the information could not be used to hold onto any suspect, then it meant those suspects would be freed. Responding to questions by this reporter in respect of a petition by the late Nii Quartey’s family, Mr Kwoffie explained that rumours and suspicions were not evidence and could not be used in any court of law. Expatiating further on the issue, he said although the deceased’s family believed that it was his rivals who had ordered his killing, there was no evidence to that effect. According to him, the family had always cited alleged verbal threats and the casting of insinuations as evidence that it was Nii Quartey’s rivals who were responsible for his murder. He said all those issues were included in the police report to the A-G’s Department but the department said it could not hold in court, especially when some of the people mentioned in the report also denied it. “The evidence to support the suspicion is crucial,” he added. Mr Kwoffie said what had been established was the fact that Adam Tahiru, one of the wanted persons, was the leader of the killers. He explained that although one of the suspects in custody, Samuel McCarthy, had given a description of the alleged contractor, it did not fit any of those initially arrested who were from Nii Quartey’s rival faction. For instance, whereas McCarthy had put the age of the alleged contractor at between 30 and 40 years, some of the suspected contractors were aged between 50 and 80 years. According to him, Tahiru’s arrest would be crucial in establishing the alleged contractor. In their April 12, 2012 petition to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the family complained that “the suspects who are moving about freely are a threat to the rest of the family members of the deceased”. The late Roko Frimpong was shot by some unidentified armed men at his Tema residence on June 28, 2007, while Nii Quartey was gunned down at his Tema Community Nine residence on July 17, 2007. Prior to his death, Nii Quartey was involved in a land dispute with some members of his kin at Berekuso. Apart from winning a case in court over the land, he and his rivals had been in and out of the Police Headquarters over the enforcement of the court order.

COMBINING ACCESS WITH QUALITY EDUCATION

Page 7: Daily Graphic, May 5, 2012. IT is often argued that education holds the key to development. It is also a fact that although education holds the key to development, the products of education can pose a threat to the security and stability of society if the education we provide our young people does not properly equip them for the world of work later in life. We believe it is in this vein that our governments have pursued various programmes, especially at the basic level, to equip our children, for a carpenter, a mason or any other artisan needs basic knowledge and access to information to perform effectively and efficiently. As an agricultural nation, our farmers can put to better use the knowledge and information shared with them by extension officers if these farmers had some good basic education. Even in the choice of leaders through elections, basic knowledge is desired to enable the citizenry to make informed decisions. That is why giving priority support to basic education should be seen as complementing the development of other sectors, not competing with them. The absence of quality basic education can be seen in the illiteracy level of the population and the slow growth of all sectors of the economy. It is in this vein that we commend the government for its efforts at improving access to education and retention of pupils in schools, especially those in deprived communities, through the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) with the support of Dubai Cares, a non-governmental organisation. While commending the government for such positive measures to improve access to education, we believe attention must also be paid to the quality of education provided the pupils who stay in the schools. It is of no use retaining pupils in schools if we cannot provide them with quality education that will empower them to be of service to themselves, their families and society at large. Often, when results of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) are released, many parents become worried over what grades their children obtain. In fact, there are a number of communities where schools have scored zero per cent in the BECE over the last decade. The Daily Graphic believes that while addressing the retention issues of pupils, we must also seek solutions to the problem of quality education. We know that efforts are being made to provide shelter for pupils who study under trees. But what efforts are we making to address the problem of the shortage of teachers and ensuring that they provide quality teaching for the pupils? What about the provision of textbooks and other learning materials? The Daily Graphic thinks that the problems in education must be holistically addressed. We, therefore, call on all stakeholders to emulate the gesture of Dubai Cares to partner the government in other areas to provide quality education for our children. We must avoid the situation where we get so many children in school but they end up without employable skills because they did not have well-trained teachers with the requisite knowledge, commitment and motivation to equip them for the world of work.

Drug dealer arrested

Page 3: The Mirror, May 5, 2012. By Albert K. Salia A 38 YEAR-OLD Nigerian, who allegedly outwitted officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) and other security personnel at the Kotoka International Airport with substances suspected to be cocaine, has been arrested at the Neoplan Station in Accra. John Amechi, who arrived from Venezuela two weeks ago, was arrested at the Neoplan Station at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra at about 10 a.m. on Tuesday. He was on board a nigerian-bound vehicle about to depart for Nigeria. Amechi and the substances, which tested positive after a laboratory test, have been handed over to NACOB for further investigations. The Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr Patrick Timbillah, told newsmen in Accra that following a tip-off, police personnel accosted Amechi at the Neoplan Station. He said some whitish substance concealed in a black polythene bag in the suspect’s luggage was found when a search was conducted at the scene of arrest. Mr Timbillah commended the informant who gave the police the tip-off. He reminded Ghanaians that policing was a shared responsibility and not the preserve of the police alone, pointing out that police operations depended so much on intelligence hence the need for members of the public to see themselves as partners of the police in combating crime.