Kwadwo Nsafoah Poku calls for dismissal of Muntaka over cocaine seizures

Kwadwo Nsafoah Poku, the co-chair of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Energy Committee, has demanded the immediate removal of Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka-Mubarak and the head of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC). The call for dismissals follows a series of high-profile cocaine seizures at international borders, including a significant interception in Lebanon, which have been linked to shipments originating from Ghana. Poku argued that these incidents signal a critical failure in the nation's security and narcotics enforcement protocols.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s "The Big Issue" on November 7, 2025, Poku expressed grave concerns regarding the oversight of Ghana's transit points. He noted that the effectiveness of current drug enforcement measures is being called into question by the international community as more shipments successfully exit Ghanaian borders only to be intercepted elsewhere. According to Poku, the recurring nature of these seizures suggests that the existing security leadership is struggling to keep pace with the evolving tactics of traffickers.

The NPP official emphasized that accountability at the highest levels of the security architecture is the only way to address the growing issue. He contended that the persistence of drug trafficking indicates the operation of sophisticated, organized networks that require more than just the arrest of individual couriers to dismantle. Poku asserted that a change in leadership is necessary to restore confidence in Ghana's ability to police its borders and to signal a zero-tolerance approach to narcotics smuggling.

This demand places additional political pressure on the administration of President John Mahama to review the performance of his security appointees. While the government has maintained its commitment to national security, the recent string of international drug interceptions has sparked a broader debate about whether current strategies are sufficient to combat the organized criminal syndicates utilizing Ghana as a transit hub for illegal narcotics.