Member of Parliament for Wa West and Vice Chairman of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Peter Lanchene Toobu, has urged authorities to focus on fixing weaknesses within Ghana’s security system instead of simply calling for the dismissal of officials following recent drug trafficking incidents.
According to him, removing individuals from office without addressing the systems that allowed illicit drugs to move through the country’s ports would not provide a lasting solution.
Speaking during an interview on Saturday, September 19, 2026, Mr Toobu said, “You don’t correct the system by firing people.”
His comments come amid renewed concerns over drug trafficking through Ghana and calls by the Minority in Parliament for the House to be recalled to discuss recent incidents.
The concerns have intensified following the seizure by French customs authorities of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine from a container that arrived at the Port of Dunkirk from Ghana.
Mr Toobu said Parliament has existing mechanisms through its committees to monitor and scrutinise the work of security agencies, even when the House is in recess.
He warned that Parliament should not wait for major security incidents before carrying out its oversight responsibilities.
According to him, waiting for a crisis and then setting up a bipartisan committee could amount to interfering in the day-to-day operations of security institutions rather than providing effective oversight.
He therefore called for a more proactive approach to parliamentary supervision of the agencies responsible for securing Ghana’s borders and ports.
Mr Toobu also stressed the need to strengthen the capacity of security agencies through improved technology, better training and closer collaboration.
He said tackling narcotics trafficking requires an assessment of the entire security system to identify gaps and weaknesses that criminals could exploit.
His comments come as the government takes steps to strengthen Ghana’s response to drug trafficking.
President John Mahama has directed an inter-agency task force to develop a national roadmap to prevent narcotics trafficking through Ghana’s borders.
