The Presidency has moved to correct an omission in its invitation to a high-level security meeting after questions were raised over why the Ministers for the Interior and Transport were left out of discussions on Ghana’s latest cocaine trafficking case.
The development has drawn attention to the role of government officials in tackling drug trafficking, particularly after a major cocaine shipment linked to Ghana was seized in France.
According to reports, the Presidency has now added Interior Minister Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka and Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe to the list of officials expected to attend the meeting at Jubilee House on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
The initial invitation, signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, reportedly included heads of several security and transport agencies but left out the ministers responsible for those institutions.
The omission attracted criticism from Akuapem North MP Sammi Awuku of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP). He questioned why agency heads were invited without the ministers responsible for supervising their work.
His concerns focused on institutions such as the Ghana Maritime Authority, Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Ghana Airports Company Limited, Ghana Police Service and Narcotics Control Commission.
The controversy comes at a time when Ghana is facing renewed questions over its efforts to prevent international drug traffickers from using the country as a transit point.
French authorities recently seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at the port of Dunkirk. The shipment, concealed in a container of plastic waste reportedly sent from Ghana, was estimated to have a street value of about €225 million.
The case has also led to arrests in Ghana. The Narcotics Control Commission has confirmed that three suspects are in its custody and assisting investigators over their alleged links to the network of wanted Dutch drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, also known as “Bolle Jos.”
Awuku argued that the ministers should have been included from the beginning, given their responsibility for the agencies involved.
He also raised questions about who would oversee the implementation of decisions reached at the meeting if the ministers were not present.
Following the criticism, the Presidency issued a revised invitation that included both ministers. Awuku welcomed the correction, while maintaining that the Minority had a duty to question decisions involving public institutions and accountability.
The meeting is expected to examine weaknesses in border security, intelligence sharing, cargo and passenger screening, cooperation among agencies, and the use of technology to detect drug trafficking.
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