Drug trafficking is an institutional crisis, not a political one — Senyo Hosi

The fight against drug trafficking in Ghana must be reframed as a battle against institutional failure rather than a partisan political contest, according to Senyo Hosi, Convener of the OneGhana Movement and a prominent public policy advocate.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, November 14, 2026, Mr. Hosi argued that the country’s enforcement architecture—particularly the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and port security systems—suffers from chronic under-resourcing and operational weaknesses that cannot be resolved through political rhetoric.

“It’s no more a political problem. It’s a whole institutional problem,” he stressed, calling for stronger enforcement systems, greater accountability, and adequate resources for NACOC.

A Commission Stretched Thin

While acknowledging operational improvements—including NACOC’s expansion from approximately eight districts to 81—Mr. Hosi maintained that the Commission remains significantly under-resourced. His assessment echoes concerns raised in Parliament just weeks earlier, where Effia MP Isaac Boamah-Nyarko revealed that NACOC’s total vehicle fleet across the country numbers only about 26 or 27, many in poor condition, and that some regional offices lack basic weaponry .

NACOC has nonetheless been undergoing a structural transformation. In July 2026, the Interior Ministry announced that the Commission had been granted full recognition as a security agency, empowering its officers to carry firearms, conduct intelligence operations, and prosecute narcotics cases independently. The Director-General now holds the rank of a two-star General, and NACOC representatives sit on District and Regional Security Councils as well as the Joint Intelligence Committee . Yet Mr. Hosi’s remarks suggest that formal recognition has not been matched by the material support required to operationalize that mandate.

The Scanner Question

Beyond NACOC’s capacity, Mr. Hosi raised pointed concerns about cargo scanning systems at Ghana’s ports, questioning how cocaine consignments could pass through without detection. He called for investigations into the operations of port scanners, their maintenance, and the role of Customs officers responsible for inspecting containers.

His concerns are not abstract. In September 2026, French customs seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a container of plastic waste shipped from Tema Port to Dunkirk—a consignment valued at approximately €225 million. Investigations in Ghana reportedly raised questions about abnormalities detected in scan images before the containers were cleared for shipment . Ten people, including four Customs Division officers, were subsequently detained .

Just this week, Spanish authorities announced the interception of 2.6 tonnes of cocaine hidden beneath false bottoms in wooden crates carrying coconuts from Ghana, seized at the port of Valencia after the shipment left Tema in August . Belgian customs data from 2025 placed Ghana as the fifth-largest country of origin for cocaine seized at Antwerp—the only African nation in the top five .

Mr. Hosi said he could not independently verify reports that some scanners frequently break down, but argued that such concerns point to deeper institutional weaknesses that must be investigated rather than turned into political blame games. Previous reporting has documented that scan images are frequently unavailable at Tema’s MPS Terminal, contributing to cargo congestion and raising questions about the reliability of inspection infrastructure .

The Synthetic Threat

Mr. Hosi also warned against reducing Ghana’s drug problem to cocaine, arguing that synthetic substances pose a more immediate threat to young people.

“The drug problem should not be made a cocaine problem at all. The bigger problem we have is with the synthetics. Serious problem. That’s what our youth are getting into,” he said.

His warning aligns with emerging research on substance use among Ghanaian youth. A 2026 study of adolescent commercial tricycle riders in Tamale found that 60.8% used psychoactive substances, with Tramadol (68.8%), Trafodol (59.0%), and diazepam (56.3%) among the most commonly abused—substances that are pharmaceutical in origin rather than plant-based . The study also identified self-confidence (60.8%) and improved work performance (24.6%) as primary motivations for use, underscoring the economic and social dimensions of the crisis.

Budget Priorities and Accountability

Mr. Hosi expressed disappointment that the drug menace had not received sufficient attention in the government’s budget, urging authorities to prioritize funding for NACOC just as they had highlighted the fight against illegal small-scale mining, known as galamsey. His criticism carries particular weight given his simultaneous role as a Trustee of the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey; on the same Newsfile appearance, he declared that the galamsey fight had failed and called for a strategic reset .

He warned that Ghana must treat drug trafficking and substance abuse as major national concerns, particularly given the growing exposure of young people to illicit substances. Strengthening enforcement institutions, improving border surveillance, and holding those responsible for trafficking networks accountable were, in his view, essential to addressing the problem.

A Pattern of Vulnerability

The broader context of Mr. Hosi’s remarks is a documented pattern of Ghanaian ports being exploited by international trafficking networks. In June 2025, Dutch customs seized 4.5 tonnes of cocaine hidden in timber from Tema at Amsterdam—the largest seizure in that port’s history at the time. Belgian authorities intercepted 2,829 kilogrammes in cassava flour from Tema in November 2025, and a further 1,158 kilogrammes the following month. In June 2026, Australian authorities seized 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in charcoal from Ghana .

A JoyNews tally published in September counted 28 narcotics-related cases linked to Ghana since January 2025, with cocaine seizures of published weights amounting to approximately 15.8 tonnes .

The September Dunkirk seizure prompted President John Dramani Mahama to convene security chiefs and direct an inter-agency task force to review detection systems at ports and borders. The Presidency said the task force had two weeks to submit recommendations . It is unclear what progress has been made since.

Mr. Hosi’s intervention comes as NACOC awaits the completion of its first forensic laboratory, supported by a €300,000 donation from Spain. The facility was reported to be about 90% complete as of October 2026, with hopes it would be operational by the end of the year or early 2027 . Until then, the Commission continues to rely on third-party laboratories for drug testing—a dependency that has delayed investigations and prosecutions.

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Senyo Hosi is the founder of the OneGhana Movement and the founding CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors. He served as Managing Trustee of the COVID-19 Private Sector Fund and is a recipient of the Companion of the Order of the Volta .