By Edward Dankwah, GNA
Accra, Jan. 22, GNA – The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has inaugurated a sixteen-member inter-agency Narcotics Coordination Committee, to operate jointly in line with policy direction of the Commission.
The Committee, which is made up of personnel drawn from sister state security and intelligence agencies, will serve as a joint operation body to complement the operations of NACOC.
The Committee will be focusing on intelligence sharing and also collaborating to stay ahead of criminal networks, as this forms part of a more structured and deliberate approach to inter-agency collaboration on narcotics issues.
At the inaugural ceremony in Accra, Brigadier General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, the Director-General of NACOC, said the Narcotics Inter-agency Coordination Committee (NICC) existed to connect intelligence and not to control institutions.
He added that the team would further support prevention, interdiction, and enforcement across all agencies and that “Narcotics Inter-agency Coordination Committee will not override mandates but strengthen collective actions.”
The Director-General called for collaboration and diligence among members of the Committee to enable the Commission to achieve its targeted goals.
Mr Alexander Twum-Barimah (Esq), the Deputy Director-General in-charge of Enforcement, Control and Elimination, explained that this platform was intended to be practical and not about creating new mandates or layers of approval.
He stressed that the purpose of the coordination committee was also to ensure that information moved more easily between agencies that concerns were raised earlier, and that operational support could be mobilised without unnecessary delay.
“As liaison officers, you have been selected because you understand both your institutional responsibilities and the value of trusted engagement with partner agencies. The effectiveness of this team will depend on how well it supports real-time coordination and informed decision-making,” he added.
Mr Twum-Barimah noted that the Inter-agency liaison initiative would also support a shared understanding of the drug situation in the country, by bringing together perspectives from across the security and regulatory landscape as such clarity was essential for leadership, planning, and effective response.
The Liaison Coordination Committee, which brings together designated officers from key institutions, would strengthen communication, improve early engagement, and support joint responses where necessary.
The NICC includes the Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Revenue Authority/Customs Division, National Security Council Secretariat, Ghana Police Service/ DLEU, National Intelligence Bureau, Economics and Organise Crime Office, National Signals Bureau and Financial and Intelligence Centre.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo