Illegal Substance Saga: President Reviews Meeting Invite, Adds Interior and Transport Ministers

• The Presidency added key ministers and the Ghana Immigration Service chief to a high-level border security meeting at Jubilee House on September 17, 2026
• The revised invitation followed concerns raised by Akuapem North MP Sammi Awuku over sector ministers being left out of the initial invite
• The meeting comes after French customs authorities seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of contraband worth an estimated US$261 million from a Ghana-shipped container

Ghana's Presidency has expanded the list of officials invited to a high-level national security meeting after a member of parliament raised concerns that key sector ministers had been left out of the original invitation.

President John Dramani Mahama convened the meeting, scheduled for Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. at Jubilee House.

The revised invitation, issued by Secretary to the President Callistus Mahama, now includes the Minister for the Interior, the Transport Minister and the Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service.

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Sammi Awuku's Concerns Prompt Revised Invitation

The change follows a Facebook post by Akuapem North Member of Parliament Sammi Awuku on Monday, September 14, 2026.

Awuku questioned why the heads of agencies responsible for borders, ports, aviation and narcotics control were being invited without the ministers who oversee those sectors sitting at the table.

The meeting's timing is significant. French customs authorities recently seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of substances from a container shipped from Ghana, with an estimated street value of US$261 million, prompting urgent questions about the country's port security arrangements.

The Facebook post below captures Sammi Awuku’s reaction to the initial meeting invitation.

What the Jubilee House meeting will cover

Officials attending the session will be expected to assess Ghana's border-control systems and examine security vulnerabilities across the country's ports, airports and land borders.

The agenda also includes a review of intelligence-sharing arrangements, cargo and passenger screening systems, and inter-agency coordination, with particular attention to how technology can be used to strengthen enforcement.

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Each institution has been asked to provide a brief assessment of existing security gaps and to propose concrete steps to improve surveillance, screening and joint operations.

Heads of institutions are required to attend in person and may bring no more than one technical officer.

The list of invited bodies is extensive. It includes the Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Shippers' Authority, terminal scanner operators, Ghana Link Network Services Ltd, Ghana Maritime Authority, Ghana Navy, Meridian Port Services Ltd, the Bureau of National Intelligence, the Ghana Police Service's Criminal Investigations Department, Interpol, the Narcotics Control Commission and Ghana Airports Company Limited.

NACOC sends strong warning to Ghanaian students

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) warned that illicit substance networks are increasingly infiltrating Senior High Schools (SHS) and universities nationwide, posing a severe threat to students.

Recent intelligence indicates that illegal substance syndicates are moving beyond street peddling to operate directly within educational institutions.

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Speaking on Channel One Newsroom, NACOC’s Head of Public Relations, Francis Amoah, stated that many schools have already enforced strict disciplinary penalties against students for illegal substance offences.

Source: YEN.com.gh