NPP Gives Mahama Tough Demand: Sack NACOC, Airport and Security Chiefs Over Cocaine Scandal

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on President John Dramani Mahama to immediately dismiss the heads of key security institutions, including the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), following a series of major cocaine seizures linked to Ghana.

The party says the repeated interceptions of narcotic substances in Ghana and abroad have raised serious questions about the country’s border security systems and the effectiveness of institutions responsible for protecting its ports and airports.

The demand was made by the NPP’s Second National Vice Chairman, Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B, during a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.

Addressing journalists, Nana Boakye insisted that the continued occurrence of drug trafficking incidents required immediate accountability from government officials overseeing the country’s security institutions.

He specifically demanded the removal of the leadership of NACOC and Ghana Airports Company Limited, including the Managing Director and head of security.

He also called for the heads of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and National Security to step aside to allow an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the seizures.

“The head of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), the leadership there, they must go. Ghana Airports Company Limited, they must go; the leadership there, from the MD to the head of security, they must all leave,” he stated.

NPP Questions Ghana’s Airport and Port Security

Nana Boakye argued that institutions responsible for securing Ghana’s entry points must be held accountable whenever major drug consignments are linked to the country.

According to him, the repeated interceptions have created concerns about Ghana’s reputation internationally and the country’s vulnerability to organised drug trafficking networks.

He questioned why officials responsible for airport and port security remained in their positions despite the incidents.

The NPP official also criticised President Mahama’s handling of the situation, arguing that the government had not demonstrated sufficient action following previous cocaine seizures.

“And the President is not doing anything about it. They have failed. They have failed repeatedly. And they must be sacked,” he added.

46.7kg Cocaine Seized in Lebanon Raises Fresh Concerns

The NPP’s demands follow the arrest of a Syrian national at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, on October 31, 2026.

The suspect had reportedly travelled from Accra aboard a Middle East Airlines flight when Lebanese authorities intercepted approximately 46.7 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in two suitcases containing 40 packages.

Reports also indicated that electronic tracking devices were discovered among the concealed packages.

The incident has attracted renewed attention to Ghana’s airport security procedures, particularly how such a consignment was able to travel out of the country.

However, NACOC has maintained that the shipment was allowed to leave Ghana as part of a controlled delivery operation coordinated with Lebanese authorities.

The Commission explained that the operation was intended to help investigators identify and apprehend other individuals connected to the suspected international trafficking network.

Three foreign nationals were subsequently arrested in Ghana in connection with investigations into the shipment, according to reports published on November 4.

NPP Cites Multiple International Cocaine Seizures

Beyond the Beirut incident, the opposition party pointed to several other major drug interceptions involving consignments reportedly linked to Ghana.

Nana Boakye said the party had identified at least 14 major drug seizures between March 2025 and October 2026, including incidents in Ghana and overseas.

One of the most notable cases involved the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of suspected cocaine at the Port of Dunkirk in France in September 2026.

The shipment, concealed in a container carrying plastic waste that had departed Ghana, further intensified scrutiny of the country’s international cargo and shipping procedures.

The NPP argues that the repeated incidents should prompt a comprehensive review of the security arrangements at Ghana’s major ports and airports.

NPP Demands Independent Investigation and Parliamentary Probe

The party’s demands go beyond the removal of security officials.

The NPP has also called for a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry into the Beirut cocaine incident to establish the full circumstances surrounding the shipment.

It wants the government to publish the roadmap prepared by the inter-agency task force established after President Mahama chaired an emergency security meeting on September 17, 2026.

The party has also requested a joint statement from Ghanaian and Lebanese authorities explaining the circumstances of the controlled delivery operation and when Ghanaian officials were first informed about the interception.

Additionally, the NPP wants the names and details of individuals arrested in Ghana over the Beirut shipment to be made public, subject to the applicable legal process.

It has further called for the prosecution of any public officials found to have facilitated drug trafficking activities.

Government’s Position: NACOC Says Investigation Is Ongoing

Meanwhile, the government’s position on the Beirut incident differs from the NPP’s interpretation of events.

The Interior Ministry has defended the controlled delivery approach, explaining that international drug investigations sometimes require consignments to be monitored beyond their point of departure to identify other members of trafficking networks.

Government spokesperson Julius Kwame Anthony has urged the public to allow investigators to complete their work, stressing that the objective is to dismantle the wider criminal network rather than focus solely on the individual courier.

NACOC has also maintained that its cooperation with international partners forms part of efforts to track and disrupt organised drug trafficking operations.

What Happens Next?

With the NPP demanding the removal of key security officials and an independent parliamentary investigation, pressure is mounting on the government to provide further explanations about the repeated cocaine seizures linked to Ghana.

The central questions remain how the consignments passed through the country’s security systems, whether any public officials facilitated the operations and what measures are being implemented to prevent similar incidents.

For now, the government faces calls from the opposition to demonstrate accountability, strengthen border security and protect Ghana’s international reputation as investigations into the suspected drug trafficking networks continue.