Mahama Gives Security Agencies 2 Weeks to Harmonise Port Operations, Reinstates NACOC

• President John Dramani Mahama issued the directive during a high-level meeting at the Presidency on Wednesday, September 17, 2026
• Mahama ordered the reinstatement of the Narcotics Control Commission to joint container inspections at Ghana's ports
• The President announced plans for a Joint Taskforce and pledged to equip all relevant agencies with scanners and logistics

President John Dramani Mahama has directed all security and regulatory agencies at Ghana's ports to produce a unified operational framework within two weeks, signalling a significant shift in how the country manages port security and trade oversight.

The order came during a high-level meeting held at the Presidency on Wednesday, September 17, attended by key figures from the national security, narcotics control, and transportation sectors.

Sources at the meeting told 3news' Komla Klutse that the President raised concerns about overlapping mandates, duplicated roles, and coordination gaps across agencies operating at the ports, issues that have fuelled growing unease over illegal substance movement and revenue losses.

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"The President has given all security and regulatory agencies operating at the ports two weeks to submit a comprehensive framework that will ensure smooth, coordinated, and accountable operations," a source at the meeting said.

NACOC Restored to Joint Container Inspections

Among the most consequential decisions from the meeting was the reinstatement of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to the Joint Container Inspection regime. NACOC had been excluded from joint inspections following a Cabinet memo in 2018, a move that security analysts have long criticised for undermining Ghana's capacity to detect narcotics and other contraband hidden within shipping containers.

A senior government official who attended the meeting was unambiguous about the rationale for the reversal. "NACOC will be restored to its rightful place in the joint inspection process. You cannot fight narcotics if the lead anti-narcotics agency is taken out of the port," the official said.

The government also announced the establishment of a Joint Taskforce mandated to coordinate inspections, cut down bureaucratic delays, and enforce compliance across all port operations.

Agencies to Receive Equipment and Resources

Beyond restructuring, President Mahama committed to fully resourcing the agencies involved. The official quoted the President as saying: "The era where agencies complain about lack of scanners, logistics and personnel to execute their mandate is over. Government will equip the relevant agencies, but they must also deliver results and work together."

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Ghana's two principal ports, Tema and Takoradi, handle more than 80% of the country's import and export cargo, making them critical nodes in the national economy. The 2018 reforms that reduced the number of agencies at the ports from over 20 to just three — the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, and Ghana Standards Authority — were credited with faster cargo clearance but faulted by critics for leaving security gaps.

The reinstatement of NACOC alongside the creation of a Joint Taskforce reflects the Mahama administration's intent to balance trade facilitation with tighter national security measures at the country's ports.

Source: YEN.com.gh