By Grace Zigah
The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has called for intensified efforts to dismantle the financial networks behind narcotics trafficking, stressing that the fight against illegal drugs must go beyond the arrest and prosecution of couriers.
The Council made the call in a statement delivered by its Chairman, Rev. Enoch Nii Narh Thompson, following a visit by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Policy Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Security and the Committee on Religious Affairs on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
The delegation presented an aide-mémoire to the Christian Council, seeking what it described as a non-partisan moral, pastoral and spiritual intervention in response to the growing incidence of narcotics trafficking and related crimes in Ghana.
According to the Council, recent high-profile interceptions of suspected narcotics shipments have raised serious concerns about national security, the welfare of young people, families and the country’s broader social and spiritual wellbeing.
It specifically cited the seizure of 3.3 tonnes of cocaine at Pedu Junction in Cape Coast, the interception of consignments along the Takoradi-Cape Coast highway, and the seizure of 866 parcels of cocaine in gari sacks at Tema Harbour.
The Council also referred to unresolved questions surrounding aviation and maritime-related incidents, saying the developments required a comprehensive national response.
Council Invokes Constitutional Responsibility
The Christian Council said its intervention was grounded not in partisan politics but in its constitutional responsibility as a religious institution and civic actor.
It referenced Article 41 of the 1992 Constitution, particularly Article 41(i), which places a duty on citizens to cooperate with lawful agencies in maintaining law and order.
The Council also pointed to the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019), which provides the legal framework for dealing with narcotics-related offences, as well as the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044), which gives state institutions powers to trace, freeze and confiscate assets linked to criminal conduct.
It further highlighted the Whistleblower Act, 2006 (Act 720) as an important mechanism for encouraging individuals to expose suspected illegal activities without fear of victimisation.
The Council said these legal provisions demonstrated that the fight against narcotics trafficking should include efforts to identify and dismantle the networks and financial structures that sustain the trade.
‘Go After The Financiers’
A major concern raised by the Council was whether law enforcement efforts were adequately targeting the financiers and organisers of the narcotics trade rather than concentrating predominantly on people at the bottom of trafficking networks.
It questioned whether authorities were pursuing the individuals who finance and organise the trade with the same determination as couriers and other low-level actors.
The Council argued that a justice system that punishes desperate couriers while shielding wealthy financiers would undermine the rule of law.
It also linked narcotics-related proceeds to corruption, saying illicit financial gains could undermine public institutions, political processes and the value placed on honest work.
Church Maintains Non-Partisan Position
The Christian Council was emphatic that its engagement with the NPP delegation should not be interpreted as political endorsement.
It stated that it remains completely non-partisan, citing its 2023 Constitution, which provides that the Council is not aligned with any political party and derives its principles from the Bible.
The Council said its response to the NPP delegation was therefore a moral and civic position rather than an endorsement of the party’s campaign platform or a criticism of another political party.
“Crime has no political colour,” the Council said in its statement, adding that drug addiction affects people regardless of their political affiliation.
It maintained that threats to national security should be addressed as matters affecting all citizens.
CCG Proposes Financial Investigations
As part of its proposed interventions, the Council called for comprehensive financial investigations into the proceeds of narcotics trafficking.
It urged the Presidency, Parliament, the Narcotics Control Commission, the Financial Intelligence Centre and the Judiciary to utilise their legal powers to track the financial footprints associated with drug shipments.
The Council said such investigations should help establish that no individual, irrespective of political or economic status, is beyond the reach of the law.
Partnership With Youth Ministry
The Christian Council also disclosed plans to strengthen its collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment (MYDE) under the “Sound Youth, Sound Nation” (SYSNA) programme.
According to the Council, the initiative seeks to combine its moral and spiritual interventions with government resources to address youth substance abuse, including the misuse of alcohol, marijuana, tramadol and other illicit drugs.
The Council said it intends to expand interventions across the16 regions through counselling pathways, peer educators and community-based support systems aimed at protecting young people from recruitment into trafficking networks.
Churches To Strengthen Grassroots Surveillance
The Council further announced plans to use its network of Local Councils of Churches across the country to strengthen community-level engagement on narcotics and organised crime.
The initiative will involve civic education, community safety advocacy and cooperation with law enforcement agencies to facilitate the safe reporting of suspected illicit operations.
The Council said the objective was to make local communities active participants in preventing drug trafficking and protecting young people from exploitation.
Interfaith Response Proposed
The Christian Council also called for a broader interfaith approach to combating organised crime.
It said it would seek joint action with the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, as well as Muslim and traditional religious communities.
The Council believes such collaboration could create a unified response against organised criminal networks and strengthen the moral and community-based mechanisms available to prevent drug abuse and trafficking.
‘Church Will Not Remain Silent’
Concluding the statement, Rev. Enoch Nii Narh Thompson said the Christian Council would take the concerns raised by the NPP delegation under advisement and forward the issues through its Standing Committee and Executive Council.
He stressed that the Church would not remain silent if the future of Ghanaian youth was threatened by illicit wealth and narcotics trafficking.
The Council reiterated its strategic commitment to “United in Christ, Leading with Integrity, Transforming Ghana,” and called for greater emphasis on integrity, justice and the rule of law.
