Minority Leader in Parliament Alexander Afenyo Markin has accused the government of employing political distractions and high profile arrests to divert public attention from what he described as Ghana’s growing narcotics trafficking problem.
Mr Afenyo Markin argued that government should instead concentrate on identifying the individuals and networks responsible for major narcotics consignments linked to Ghana while addressing security weaknesses that have allowed such shipments to pass through the country’s ports and borders.
Speaking at the launch of the 30th Ghana Journalists Association Media Awards, he claimed that efforts by the Minority to secure a parliamentary inquiry into recent cocaine seizures had been obstructed.
He accused the government of creating political controversies whenever the Minority attempted to focus public attention on questions of accountability surrounding major narcotics seizures.
According to the Minority Leader, state security institutions were instead being deployed against political opponents while the deeper questions surrounding the movement of narcotics remained unresolved.
He further alleged that highly publicised arrests were being used to dominate news coverage and divert attention from major cocaine seizures involving consignments connected to Ghana.
Mr Afenyo Markin therefore challenged journalists to intensify their investigations into the movement of narcotics through Ghana’s ports and international borders, particularly in areas where parliamentary oversight had been limited.
He urged the media not to rely solely on official government statements but to independently examine the circumstances surrounding major narcotics consignments and investigate any possible institutional failures.
The Minority Leader argued that the inability of Parliament to proceed with its proposed inquiry had made investigative journalism even more important in uncovering facts and demanding accountability.
