Audio By Carbonatix
The Acting British High Commissioner, Mr Matthews Johnson has expressed confidence in the commitment of Ghana’s security officials in the fight against the drug menace.
He said suggestions of complicity on the part of officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) in the drugs trade and alleged deliberate tampering with Operation Westbridge monitoring equipment installed at the Kotoka International Airport to arrest drug traffickers so as to reduce the effectiveness of the system, were inaccurate.
Last year, leaked cables by whistle-blowers Wikileaks quoted US diplomats as saying that Operation Westbridge was being undermined and that whenever British officials monitoring the system left Ghana, the rate of arrests of traffickers reduced significantly. Mr Johnson however dismissed the claims.
Speaking to journalists during an interaction with the media Tuesday, the Acting High Commissioner explained that the reduction in arrests may have been the result of the fact that NACOB were lacking in capacity to adequately utilize the system.
Mr Johnson said the government of Ghana’s commitment to fighting the drugs trade led to the installation of the system.
He praised highly President Mills’ personal commitment to fighting the menace.
Touching on the United Kingdom’s relationship with Ghana, the Acting High Commissioner said Britain was committed to working hard together with the Ghana government to double the value of bilateral trade between the two countries by 2015.
He said it was the desire of the British government to help Ghana to consolidate and cement its newly attained middle income status. This, he believes, coincides with the UK’s efforts to help Ghana achieve its Millennium Development Goals.
The new Country Director of the Department for International Development (DFID), Sally Taylor said it was in furtherance of the objectives outlined by Mr Johnson that - regardless of the mounting deficit and slow economic recovery that the country was facing and the consequent cuts in spending thereof - the UK government had maintained Ghana as one of the countries it will continue to assist.
She said Britain will continue to contribute to the government of Ghana’s budget especially in areas that the DFID’s assistance will be most effective.
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