MINORITY SEEKS EMERGENCY RECALL OF PARLIAMENT OVER GHANA DRUG TRAFFICKING CONCERNS

Ghana's Minority in Parliament says it has secured enough signatures to trigger a request for an emergency sitting of the legislature, as opposition lawmakers push for a parliamentary investigation into a series of major narcotics seizures linked to the country.

Rev Ntim Fordjour, the Ranking Member on Parliament's Defense and Interior Committee, said the Minority had obtained the support of more than 15% of Members of Parliament, the threshold required under Article 112(3) of Ghana's Constitution to request that Parliament be summoned.

The Assin South MP said the signatures were submitted last week alongside a petition and memorandum to Speaker Alban Bagbin, who has acknowledged receiving the request.

"We got more than 15%," Fordjour told Joy News' PM Express on Tuesday.

The Speaker has not yet issued a formal notice recalling Parliament.

Fordjour said the Minority expects that notice this week and believes lawmakers could return for an extraordinary sitting as early as next week. That timetable remains the Minority's expectation and has not been formally announced by the Speaker.

At the center of the request is a push for Parliament to establish a bipartisan inquiry into a series of high-profile narcotics seizures that opposition lawmakers say raise questions about Ghana's ports, border controls, intelligence systems and drug enforcement capabilities.

The petition invokes Article 112(3) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 53 of Parliament's Standing Orders.

Under Article 112(3), at least 15% of MPs may request a meeting of Parliament, after which the Speaker is required to summon the House within seven days of receiving the request.

COCAINE SEIZURES DRIVE CALL FOR INQUIRY

The Minority's petition follows heightened scrutiny of Ghana's narcotics enforcement systems after French authorities seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at the Port of Dunkirk earlier this month.

The drugs were reportedly concealed in a container of plastic waste that had departed Ghana.

The Minority says that seizure, together with several other major drug related incidents linked to Ghana since 2025, warrants parliamentary scrutiny.

Among the cases cited by opposition lawmakers is the March 2025 interception of more than 3.3 tonnes of cocaine at Pedu Junction in Cape Coast.

The Minority has also pointed to the seizure of 866 parcels of suspected cocaine at a warehouse in the Tema Harbor enclave in August 2026 and a June seizure by Australian authorities of 320 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in a charcoal consignment traced to Ghana.

The caucus says the combined value of major narcotics seizures it has linked to Ghana over the past two years exceeds $1 billion.

Those figures and the Minority's broader characterization of the incidents form part of its case for a parliamentary investigation.

MINORITY WANTS BIPARTISAN INVESTIGATION

Fordjour said the proposed inquiry should examine the institutional and security weaknesses that may have allowed major narcotics consignments to move through or be associated with Ghana.

The Minority wants Parliament to examine how relevant shipments were processed and cleared, the effectiveness of scanning and surveillance systems and the progress of investigations into the networks and financiers behind major trafficking operations.

Its petition also calls for scrutiny of the roles of institutions including the Interior and Transport ministries, the Narcotics Control Commission, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Immigration Service and National Intelligence Bureau.

Fordjour said the proposed investigation should be bipartisan and focused on finding solutions rather than becoming another partisan confrontation in Parliament.

"We are interested in solutions that restore Ghana to its glory," he said.

The Minority has also criticized the government's handling of the issue, arguing that the scale of recent seizures requires a stronger response from authorities.

The government and state agencies have previously rejected or challenged some opposition claims surrounding drug trafficking cases, making the establishment of verified facts a central issue in the political debate.

Any parliamentary investigation would operate separately from criminal investigations already being conducted by Ghanaian and international law enforcement authorities.

The Minority's petition acknowledges that distinction, saying parliamentary scrutiny should not interfere with ongoing investigations or prejudice the rights of individuals under investigation.

For now, the next step rests with the Speaker.

Bagbin has acknowledged receiving the request, according to Fordjour, but Parliament has not announced a date for an extraordinary sitting.

A formal recall notice would clear the way for lawmakers to return from recess and determine whether Parliament should establish the investigation sought by the Minority.