Ghana Could Be Taken Over By Drug Barons...

Security expert, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning has warned Ghana could be taken over by drug barons if a bi-partisan approach is not adopted to tackle the menace. He said the drug trade is a major assault on West Africa's weak states and thus �in ten years time if we are not careful, the country would have been taken over by the narcotics gangs�. Dr. Aning's warning comes after the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) in collaboration with it internal counterpart impounded a ship at the Sekondi Naval Base carrying 400 kilograms cocaine with a street value of 50 million dollars. The ship ATIYAH, George-Town was intercepted following a tip-off from Ghana's international security partners. Five persons, four Guyanese and a Ghanaian arrested on board the ship Tuesday, are currently being interrogated by NACOB officials. In an interview with Joy FM Wednesday, Dr. Aning, who is head of Research at the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre noted that the arrest will not be the last since the drug barons are now using new methods in order to outwit the security agencies. According to him, much is not heard of drugs being intercepted because the social context within which narcotic trafficking, storage; transportation, repackaging and use in Ghana is located makes it a very attractive business. �The young and growing population, rapid urbanization, poverty, income inequality, under development institutions and criminal justice system, open borders, established smuggling organization shows we are ripe for this business. This will not be the last; subsequently we will see bigger attempts to infiltrate drugs into Ghana�, Dr. Aning pointed out. The security expert noted that there is an enabling environment and a certain acceptability by the societies of the financial spinout arising from the drug trade. Dr. Aning, who has worked with the United Nations office on Drugs and Crime and the West African Drugs Commission maintained that unless there is political will, Ghana could not win the fight against the drug trade. Commending NACOB and its partners for a good job done, Dr. Aning challenged President John Mahama to set up a bi-partisan team to tackle the issue. �I will challenge the president; if he wants to get to the bottom of this, he's got to establish a bi-partisan team. If he makes me the boss, I will put together a great team that will bring the results very quickly�. Additionally, Dr. Aning stressed, �we just need the political will and desire bi-partisanly to resolve it otherwise, we are in trouble�.