Staff of the Eastern Regional Narcotic Control Board were amazed and bemused after they were allegedly snubbed by the Minister of Communications Dr. Edward Omane Boamah at an exhibition forum.

The Minister was said to have bluntly told NACOB staff, in the presence of other participants, that government is not interested in what they were exhibiting at the forum.  

This took place at the Accounting for the People's Forum held by government at the Koforidua Ascension Hall.

The Communication Minister and his entourage were to inspect exhibition mounted by government agencies in the Eastern Region before the commencement of the Forum. However, when he got to the Narcotics Control Board’s stand, he ignored them and moved on to inspect other stands instead.

“We didn’t come here because of this, we are not interested in your pictures,” Dr. Boamah reportedly said, as he walked away without a minute to spare and listen to the successes chalked by NACOB in curbing narcotics in the Eastern Region, and Ghana in general.

Accounting to the People's Forum is a government outdoor event which seeks to showcase what government has done and is doing to help fight narcotics in Ghana.

The event is organized at all levels of the country and the Eastern Region had its turn on Tuesday, December 22, 2015 at the Presbyterian Ascension Hall in Koforidua. 

The Communications Minister and his team however had time to inspect stands showcasing construction of public toilets and classroom blocks by the District and Municipal Assemblies.

Regional Commander of the Narcotic Control Board, Mr. Shadrach Bosomtwe who led the team for the exhibition was disappointed by the Communications Minister’s behaviour.

He told Adom News’ Maxwell Kudekor in an interview that narcotics issues must be a concern to all.

“If you were not interested in knowing the effort we are putting in to curb the narcotics menace why did you invite us for an exhibition at the forum. We felt demoralized,” Shadrach lamented

He further expressed worry over the fact that, the Regional branch of NACOB had invited their partners from West Bridge in London to educate the public on drug abuse and how they are curbing it.

He said, their partners didn’t understand the actions of the minister and wondered what was happening.

However, a Deputy Communications Minister Mr. Felix Ofosu Kwaakye later told one of the NACOB staff that they had to do away with some of the agencies, because GTV was taking live feed and that a limited time was apportioned for the broadcasting of the event.

Listen to Shadrach laments