PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Mixed reaction to Wikileaks cables on Ghana's drug menace
Accra, Ghana (PANA) – Alleged leaked diplomatic cables on Ghana's fight against drugs released by the controversial Wikileaks website has received mixed reaction from the public.
Whereas the US Embassy says its policy is not to comment on the content of such information, it believes this will not hurt relations with Ghana, which are solid.
The leaked cables for 2007-2008 say there was no political will to fight the drug war.
They accuse members of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) of being compromised by drug barons and how the administration of former President John Kufuor lacked the political will to fight the menace.
The report referred to the abuse of the VVIP lounge at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra in 2008 and the possibility of it being used for the narcotic trade.
For 2009, the report commended the administration of President John Evans Atta Mills in the drug war. It said the President had confided in the former US Ambassador Donald Teitelbaum that some of his officials had been compromised by the drug barons. The presidency is yet to comment on it.
The report also quoted the President as saying he and his officials should be searched at the airport.
The two major political parties, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), are interpreting the leaked cables to suit their parties.
An aide to President Mills said he had made demonstrable efforts in fighting the drug menace.
Stan Dogbe said the Wikileaks cables gave credence to the efforts by the NDC administration in the drug war as the government had the political will to deal with the canker.
A former Attorney General under the erstwhile Kufuor's NPP administration, Papa Owusu Ankomah, said he did not believe there had been any concrete steps in the fight against drugs.
He called for a bipartisan approach in fighting the canker.
-0- PANA MA 15Dec2010
Whereas the US Embassy says its policy is not to comment on the content of such information, it believes this will not hurt relations with Ghana, which are solid.
The leaked cables for 2007-2008 say there was no political will to fight the drug war.
They accuse members of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) of being compromised by drug barons and how the administration of former President John Kufuor lacked the political will to fight the menace.
The report referred to the abuse of the VVIP lounge at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra in 2008 and the possibility of it being used for the narcotic trade.
For 2009, the report commended the administration of President John Evans Atta Mills in the drug war. It said the President had confided in the former US Ambassador Donald Teitelbaum that some of his officials had been compromised by the drug barons. The presidency is yet to comment on it.
The report also quoted the President as saying he and his officials should be searched at the airport.
The two major political parties, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), are interpreting the leaked cables to suit their parties.
An aide to President Mills said he had made demonstrable efforts in fighting the drug menace.
Stan Dogbe said the Wikileaks cables gave credence to the efforts by the NDC administration in the drug war as the government had the political will to deal with the canker.
A former Attorney General under the erstwhile Kufuor's NPP administration, Papa Owusu Ankomah, said he did not believe there had been any concrete steps in the fight against drugs.
He called for a bipartisan approach in fighting the canker.
-0- PANA MA 15Dec2010
