Rev. John Ntim Fordjour
The Ranking Member for the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament and Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin South, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has requested a joint briefing from key national security agencies on a series of high-profile criminal activities that have raised serious concerns about the country’s security landscape.
In a letter dated April 2, 2025, addressed to the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Interior, Rev. Fordjour called for the National Security, Police CID, Narcotics Control Commission, and National Intelligence Bureau to appear before the committee on Monday, April 7, 2025.
According to him, the purpose of the briefing is to receive updates on ongoing investigations into incidents of public and national security interest.
Among the key issues to be discussed are gold and currency smuggling bust in Sapeiman, major cocaine seizures, suspicious aircraft landings at Kotoka International Airport, and piracy and maritime security concerns.
On the gold and currency smuggling bust, the MP said a National Security operation on February 9, 2025, uncovered twelve 20-foot containers filled with gold bars and large sums of Ghanaian and foreign currencies.
He indicated that the government was yet to disclose details regarding the value of the seized assets or the status of investigations.
Regarding the major cocaine seizures, the Ranking Member stated that the authorities intercepted two separate cocaine shipments valued at $350 million and $120 million in March 2025.
He asserted that these incidents had raised concerns about Ghana becoming a hub for drug trafficking, whilst in the case of the aircraft landings at Kotoka International Airport, he disclosed that two aircraft, AirMed Flight N823AM and Cavok Air Antonov An-12B, landed in the country from Gran Canaria, Spain—a known drug trafficking hotspot—on March 20 and March 12, respectively.
Already, the Minority Caucus has alleged that these aircraft were involved in smuggling illicit drugs and large amounts of cash.
Piracy and Maritime Security Concerns
The security briefing request comes in the wake of a pirate attack on the Ghanaian-registered fishing vessel, MENGXIN 1, on March 27, 2025. Seven armed pirates reportedly took crew members hostage and kidnapped three Chinese nationals. The Ghana Navy has since launched an investigation.
At a press conference on April 2, 2025, Rev. Ntim Fordjour, alongside MP Kofi Amankwa Manu, accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of weakening Ghana’s maritime security by halting the procurement of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) in 2024.
They argued that the absence of OPVs has emboldened pirates to exploit vulnerabilities in Ghana’s territorial waters.
Call for Government Action
The Minority Caucus strongly criticised the NDC administration for its handling of security matters, warning that Ghana’s reputation as a safe country is at risk due to rising piracy, drug trafficking, and financial crimes.
“It is imperative that under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, Ghana does not degenerate into a haven for pirates, drug traffickers, and money launderers,” Rev. Fordjour cautioned.
By Ernest Kofi Adu