Narcotic Drug Cartel (NDC): http://www.dailyguideghana.com/?p=63986

In this synthetic world (apology to Jimmy Cliff) called global village, what goes around comes around. That is why it is advisable for one to weigh his or her words before speaking because what you say today may be used to judge you tomorrow. If you use the tactics of smash and grab to get power, expect the same method to be used by your opponents when they also want power. Similarly if you lie your way to power, do not be surprised if your lies take you from power. These and many more are going to drive away the NDC from power this year.

During the 2000 electioneering campaign, the NDC apparatchiks referred to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as Nkontompo Patapaa Party (Liars and bullies party). They criss-crossed the country telling whosoever cared to listen that all the promises being made by the NPP were nothing but lies. They said no one could do away with Cash and Carry as far as the health delivery system was concerned. According to the propagandists, the era of free medical care went with the Nkrumah era and that in the whole world, people pay for their medical treatments. Unknown to them, candidate Kufour and the NPP had their trump cards on their chest which they will put down when voted to power. Immediately they came to power they started planning how to introduce a National Health Insurance Scheme on pilot basis. Barely four years into the regime of the NPP, the good people of Ghana were enjoying the NHIS. I need not recount the many promises made by the NPP in 2000 which were all kept to the joy of Ghanaians.



When Mr. Eric Amoateng, an NPP MP was arrested in the US for trying to smuggle heroin into that country, the NDC apparatchiks changed the Nkontompo Patapaa Party tag to Narcotic Peddlers Party. They used the issue of cocaine to disturb the ears of Ghanaians as if it was the first time someone was arrested with cocaine or heroin. The NPP referred them to Mr. Frank Banneh, a Ghanaian diplomat who was arrested with cocaine in the Switzerland during the NDC 1 regime but the propagandists shut their ears and eyes and continued hammering on the Amoateng issue. Even when the government of former president Kufour and the UK collaborated in their effort to track down drug pushers in this country by introducing the Operation West Bridge, the NDC would not waver, as they kept the heat on. As the NACOB kept arresting drug dealers at the Kotoka International Airport, the NDC still kept on tagging the NPP as cocaine dealers. These pathological liars were able to convince Ghanaians through persistent lies and eventually won the election.

After the late President Mills held the Holy Bible and did swear the presidential oath before the good people of this country, he went on to tell Ghanaians that now that he was in charge of the affairs of the country, the issue of cocaine and other hard drugs would be a thing of the past. When he made that statement, he received a standing ovation. Barely six months after taking over the reins of power, the largest haul of cocaine from Ghana to Germany was busted. Before we could blink an eye the NDC became silent on any cocaine issues. Then the drug barons pulled their throttles on high gear as they smile to the banks simply because they had a field day. When the NACOB were not arresting drug smugglers at the Kotoka International Airport, they went about beating their chests that they have been able to subdue the barons.

Yaw Akrasi Sarpong, the Executive Secretary of NACOB went haywire and recklessly told Ghanaians that he was aware that some politicians, presumably from the opposition NPP, had planned to use drug money to sponsor their party without substantiating the allegation. The man started speaking tough on the issue of hard drugs which made Ghanaians believe that he had his hands on the job and could deliver. We were misled. The man is simply a novice who has been put there. Call it a square peg in a round hole. Akrasi Sarpong may be good at fishing in the Volta Lake along the coast at Yeji where he comes from, but surely not in the case of arresting drug barons.

As we kept on trudging in this had times and austere period, we woke up one day to hear that the largest haul of cannabis was seized in the UK. The cannabis was smuggled from the Kotoka International Airport where the men of “Crazy” Sarpong operate. As at the time of writing this piece, five of the operatives of the NACOB the outfit charged with the duty to see to it that hard drugs did not pass through the airport have been nabbed by the BNI. Instead of staying back home to find out how the cannabis were able to leave the shores of Ghana, “Crazy” Sarpong boarded a plane with tax payers’ money to the UK to consult with his counterparts to find out who exported the cannabis. Ebei!!! Mr. Crazy, do you have to fly out all the way to the UK before finding out who is behind the export of the cannabis? Why then did you arrest five of your operatives?



Before our tears could dry after weeping for mother Ghana, the UK again seized some quantity of cocaine concealed in plantains. The consignment, as usual, came from the same Kotoka International Airport, where Crazy Sarpong and his boys abide. It looks as if this man flew the kite of politicians planning to use drug money to sponsor their campaign in order to pave the way for his own political party to use the method. God punished him for deceiving the people of Ghana. There he is, naked and open for public ridicule. Unable to withstand the heat in the kitchen, Akrasi, the liar, flew to the UK and came back with the funny story that after all, the street value of the seized cannabis was not £4.3million as reported by the UK press but rather £5000, 000. The thing is that whether the man is King Mushosho of Lesotho or King Lesotho of Mushosho, he was a king. A container-load of cannabis did find its way to the UK from the Kotoka International Airport while operatives of the NACOB looked on. That is the issue! If even the street value was one penny, drugs were smuggled from Ghana to the UK. Where I come from, there is a saying that anytime you mention the old woman’s witchery, she points to the sky and tells you to see how the clouds are gathering in other to distract you.

What we are saying is that Akrasi Sarpong and his men might have taken something from the drug barons to allow them to use the airport as a transit point to get the drugs to the UK. Will he sue me? It is alleged that the man went to the UK to cover up the deal because we are in an election year and it may affect the chances of the NDC, that is, if they have any chance at all. So here we are again, back to square one. The NPP people are also referring to the NDC as Narcotic Drug Cartel (NDC) simply because the drug trade is booming in their era. It’s a matter of tit for tat, butter for bread or you do me, I do you. (Ode aye me bi, menso maye no bi).

I had cause to write in this column that the drug war is not fought on political platform. It is a continuous war which is global. It involves murder, poisoning and deadly weapons. It could lead to the overthrow of governments and even destruction of economies. It is not a child’s play as being displayed by Akrasi Sarpong and his obviously ignorant NACOB officials. The drug trade is gradually becoming scientific and very sophisticated. You don’t sit in Ghana and pretend you can easily do away with the drug trade. The drug cartels in Columbia, Venezuela, Mexico, etc are fabulously rich and can do anything to get the trade booming. Until Manuel Noriega, the former president of Panama was busted for dealing in cocaine, nobody thought a whole president of a sovereign state could stoop so low to deal in drugs. With ignoramuses like Akrasi Sarpong at the helm of affairs, the drug trade will continue to boom simply because, instead of finding an antidote to the menace, he continues to play politics with it.

By Eric Bawah

Ricky Ross, you no taya?

Hehehe . . .uncLe rickY abeg bikO . . No too open deir nyansh,abeg