The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission, together with his Deputy Director-General in charge of Enforcement, Control and Elimination, Lawyer Alexander Twum-Berimah and some management members, on Friday, paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Aflao Traditional Area, HRM Togbuga Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti V.
The call, according to Brig Gen Maxwell Obuba Mantey, the Director-General of NACOC, was to engage him with respect to joining the campaign against the illicit drug trafficking and abuse among the youth across his jurisdiction and the country at large.
He commended the traditional leadership for the warm reception and appealed to the overlord to support the campaign against the illicit drug menace, which is gradually gaining ground among the youth, to help control it.
“NACOC is always ready to partner and cooperate with all stakeholders to help curb the illicit drug trafficking and abuse, as Ghana needs the next generation to be very healthy and active”, Brig Gen Mantey added.
HRM Torgbuga Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti V, the Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area, which falls under the Ketu South Municipal Assembly, lamented that his catchment area is gaining grounds for illicit drug trafficking and abuse by the youth, hence raising serious security concerns that need urgent attention.
He stressed that one of the challenges confronting his palace and the peace of his people is the unapproved routes by all manner of persons with different backgrounds who are largely aiding and abetting most of the crimes being perpetrated in Aflao and its surrounding communities.
“It is sad to note that all manner of illicit drugs can be found in Aflao, and this calls for great concern by all, and I am happy NACOC is reaching out to us, the traditional leadership, mainly to find pragmatic measures to curb the growing situation of drug abuse and trafficking in and around Aflao”, Torgbuga Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti V.
The Aflao Paramount Chief also expressed worry about the concerns of some individuals within sections of the security agencies allegedly aiding and abetting the drug trafficking menace and called on the leadership of the respective security agencies to put in place measures to curb it.
“Smuggling of drugs at the Aflao border is becoming alarming and needs NACOC to address the issue, especially at the beaches”
He urged the management of NACOC to intensify the education campaign on the illicit drug trafficking and abuse, as its ripple effect is eroding the energetic youth of the society and called for partnership between the security traditional authorities and security agencies in the fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
