WAR ON DRUGS INTENSIFIES- AS AMERICA'S DEA SETS UP ACCRA OFFICE

Government has intensified efforts to fight the drug menace which is
giving the nation a bad image in the international world.

The establishment of an office in Accra by America's Drug Enforcement
Administration is expected to provide greater impetus for the fight.

The office, which would be established between July and August will
increase DEA's effort in fighting the drug menace in the West Coast
Region, as more personnel are expected to be recruited to beef up the fight.

This came to light when a 5-member delegation from the Drug
Enforcement Adminstration for Europe and Africa met the Interior
Minister, Kwame Addo-Kufuor, to develop appropriate linkages to
tackle the drug problem that has engulfed the country.

According to Dr Addo Kufuor, the provision of an X-ray machine at the
Kotoka International Airport, speed boats to patrol the coastline, as
well as the intensive and effective training of personnel at the
Narcotics Control Board, Navy, Police and other stakeholders could
make a positive impact on the campaign against drugs.

He explained that the X-ray machine would facilitate the detection of
internally concealed drugs; the speed boats would minimise maritime
smuggling of narcotic drugs while the training would help the
enforcement agencies to fight against the narcotics trade.

Dr Addo-Kufuor noted that the country regarded the problem of drug
trafficking as important one, not only in Ghana but other countries
in the Gulf region, adding that collaboration between Ghana and the
United States in the fight against illicit drugs had been going on since 2002.

He described the support the country had received from the US in the
anti-narcotics campaign as modest and expressed the hope that it
would be stepped up.

Dr Addo-Kufuor expressed appreciation to the US Government for the
support the country had received in many sectors of the economy over
the years, describing the US as a "serious development partner".

The issue of drugs in the country has generated a lot of interest
among various groups and individuals in the country, especially
politicians, with the main opposition National Democratic Congress
employing it as campaign propaganda to score political points against
the governing New Patriotic Party.

When he took his turn at the "Evening Encounter with Presidential
Aspirants", the Institute of Economic Affairs initiated programme,
Wednesday, NDC Presidential Candidate, John Evans Atta Mills, accused
the Government of doing little to tackle the problem.

Prof Mills even insisted that the NPP administration had created a
favourable environment for trade in narcotic drugs to flourish in the
country, assuring to put in place measures to tackle the problem if
he ascends the nation's presidency.

Also, speaking to top African and black media personnel in London
during his recent visit to the United Kingdom, NPP Presidential
Candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, also tackled growing concerns
over the nation's reputation as a lucrative transit hub for narcotics
trafficking.

"The whole of our region is under siege," he said, making allusion to
the West African coast increasingly becoming the preferred choice for
drug smugglers. He therefore called for collective regional efforts
in the fight against the drug menace.

The NPP flag bearer also called for more to be done in strengthening
the institutions mandated to fight the crime, however cautioning that
against considering the rising number of arrests as an indication of
growth in the drug trade in Ghana.

"It does not mean that suddenly Ghana has become a major transit
point for hard drugs. I believe a lot more is being done in
apprehending the culprits today than it was the case in the past. But
like many things in Ghana, we have a long way to go in fighting off
the criminals. The task ahead is to build the capacity of the
Ghanaian state to serve the nation and the people far better than we
have so far done," he underscored.

Among the delegation that visited the Interior Minister were, Ressell
F Benson, DEA Director for Europe and Africa, and Michael Braun,
Chief of Operations, US Drug Enforcement Agency.

Mr Braun said the purpose of the visit was to thank the Government of
Ghana for granting them the permit to set up an enforcement office in
the country.

According to Russell F Benson, DEA Regional Director for Europe and
Africa, the setting up of the Office would further expand and
strengthen the cooperation between Ghana and the US in different
spheres of development.

He called for a collaborative effort among all countries in the fight
against drug trafficking which was "a threat to the whole world."