Member of Parliament (MP) for Klottey Korle Constituency, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has urged the government to enhance security measures and closely monitor activities at the country’s borders.
Her call follows a recent BBC Eye investigation, which revealed that unlicensed and highly addictive opioids from India are fueling a growing drug crisis in Ghana. The report highlighted Tamale, the Northern Regional capital, as a hotspot for fake tramadol abuse.
Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, February 25, Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings stressed that drug abuse is a national security threat, pointing out that a significant number of young people are engaged in substance abuse.
She cited her constituency as an example, where drug addicts have taken over schools, harassing both students and teachers at the Nii Amugi Calvary Cluster of Schools. She recounted a recent incident in which a security officer at the school was attacked by a gang of drug addicts and is now in coma at the 37 Military Hospital.
“Mr. Speaker Ghana is well known to be a hub and a transit point for illicit drugs but this particular phenomenon we are witnessing is quiet shocking actually. As a matter of fact in my constituency we have a cluster of schools, the Nii Amugi cluster of schools where people who are addicted to drugs have actually invaded the premises and harass the students and teachers and recently in the last 3 weeks, one of the security personnel in the school was attacked by a gang of drug addicts and is now at the 37 military hospital in a coma.”
She warned of the severe consequences of illicit drug imports, emphasizing their impact on individuals’ lives, school safety, and overall national security. She, called on the government to strengthen security agencies responsible for fighting the flow of illicit drugs into the country and its use.
Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings further urged the government to re-engage international agencies and build Ghana’s capacity to monitor border activities effectively.
“We need to re-engage some of these international agencies and strengthen our capacity to monitor what is going on in our borders and ensure that when we actually do track down these criminals, the prosecution of them and effective implementation of our regulations is actually done in order to be a disincentive for those who wish to use Ghana as a transit point.”
She argued that the issue of drug abuse is a pressing national security concern that demands immediate attention.
“Mr. Speaker this is a national security issue because it affects our country in so many ways. It is affecting so many sectors and will probably require a multi-dimensional approach to actively and effectively deal with this issue.”
She bemoaned the fact that issues and drug abuse have been ignored for far too long when it is affecting numerous communities in the country, including her constituency, Klottey Korle.
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‘This is a national security issue. It is my prayer that, given the exposé and the global embarrassment we see now, we will take this issue very seriously.’ – Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings reacts to the BBC exposé on opioid abuse in Tamale.#ChannelOneNews pic.twitter.com/EMCG0eW8uf
— ChannelOne TV (@Channel1TVGHA) February 25, 2025