The Minority in Parliament has petitioned the Speaker to recall Parliament from recess to investigate a series of major narcotics seizures linked to consignments originating from or passing through Ghana.
The petition, signed by the First Deputy Minority Whip and Member of Parliament for Tolon, Habib Iddrisu, invokes Article 112(3) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 53 of Parliament’s Standing Orders.
The MPs say they constitute the constitutionally required 15 per cent of Members of Parliament needed to request an extraordinary sitting.
The immediate trigger for the request is the reported seizure by French authorities of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10, 2026.
The cocaine, reportedly valued at more than US$260 million, was concealed in a container carrying plastic waste that had departed Ghana.
According to the petition, the seizure raises serious questions about the security and integrity of Ghana’s ports and export systems, customs controls, intelligence gathering and narcotics enforcement.
The Minority wants Parliament to establish the circumstances under which the container was processed, cleared and exported from Ghana, including the port or facility through which it departed.
It is also seeking information on the companies, agencies and institutions involved in the processing, handling and clearance of the consignment, subject to legitimate restrictions required to protect ongoing investigations.
The MPs want relevant Ministers and heads of security and regulatory institutions to appear before Parliament to account for the incident and other related narcotics cases.
Institutions named in the petition include the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of National Security, Narcotics Control Commission, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Immigration Service and the National Intelligence Bureau.
The Minority is also demanding information on the progress of investigations, arrests made, charges preferred and cooperation between Ghanaian authorities and their international counterparts.
It further wants Parliament to examine measures being taken to identify and apprehend the financiers, organisers and criminal networks behind major narcotics trafficking operations.
Series of drug seizures
The petition places the Dunkirk seizure within the context of several other major drug-related incidents involving Ghana since 2025.
These include the reported interception of more than 3.3 tonnes of cocaine concealed beneath sand in a tipper truck at Pedu Junction in Cape Coast on March 4, 2025.
The consignment was reportedly estimated to have a street value exceeding US$350 million.
The Minority also cited the interception of about 120 slabs of cocaine along the Takoradi-Cape Coast Highway and the August 5, 2026 seizure of 866 parcels of suspected cocaine concealed in sacks of gari at a warehouse within the Tema Harbour enclave.
The petition further raises questions about an aircraft that allegedly arrived at Kotoka International Airport from Gran Canaria in March 2025 carrying narcotics and undeclared United States currency.
It also references the case of the MV Sankofa, which the petition says was reportedly found sailing under a forged flag and subsequently released by the Ghana Maritime Authority after payment of a fraction of an applicable fine of nearly GH¢12 million, without a full inspection of its cargo.
The vessel was subsequently arrested in Senegal, reportedly carrying narcotics.
The MPs argue that these incidents raise concerns about maritime surveillance, vessel inspection procedures, regulatory enforcement and coordination among security agencies.
The petition also cites the reported seizure by Australian authorities on June 18, 2026 of 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in a charcoal consignment traced to Ghana.
The Minority says the reported seizures, taken together, point to the need for a comprehensive examination of Ghana’s narcotics enforcement architecture, export controls and border security systems.
Minority questions progress of Pedu investigation
The petitioners have also raised concerns about the progress of investigations into the Pedu Junction cocaine seizure more than a year after the interception.
They claim that only the driver, a housemaid and a small number of other suspects described as peripheral actors have been arraigned and remain on bail, while the financiers and principal traffickers behind the consignment remain unidentified or unprosecuted.
The MPs say this raises questions about the depth, effectiveness, independence and reach of investigations into major narcotics trafficking operations.
They are also demanding greater public accountability from the Narcotics Control Commission and relevant port authorities regarding investigations into the various incidents.
Speaker asked to recall Parliament
The Minority argues that the matters are too serious to wait until the ordinary resumption of Parliament because of their implications for national security, public safety, Ghana’s international reputation and the integrity of the country’s ports and borders.
It says the proposed recall is not intended to prejudge the guilt of any individual or interfere with ongoing criminal investigations.
Rather, the MPs say the extraordinary sitting would allow Parliament to discharge its constitutional oversight and accountability responsibilities.
They are therefore asking the Speaker to summon Parliament within the constitutionally prescribed period, facilitate deliberations on the issues and, where appropriate, institute a parliamentary inquiry.
They are also asking that the relevant Ministers and institutional heads be given the opportunity to brief Parliament on the reported incidents, the progress of investigations and measures being implemented to prevent further occurrences.
The petition was submitted by Habib Iddrisu, First Deputy Minority Whip and MP for Tolon, on behalf of the petitioning Members of Parliament.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
