Veep stresses collaboration in fight against drug trafficking

Regional News of Thursday, 31 January 2013

Source: GNA

Vice President Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur on Thursday said there was the need for countries to work closely with drug producer and consumer regions for the world to deal effectively with drug trafficking.

He said Ghana is not alone in facing problems of drug trafficking, and therefore would continue to collaborate with the ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations to enhance its ability to respond to threats of the drug trade.

The Vice President stressed the need to receive accurate information about drugs, adding, we must make every effort to ensure that our youth are given the kind of help that reduces their vulnerability to drug pushers and diminish the risks they run in using drugs.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said this when he addressed the inaugural ceremony of the West Africa Commission on the Impact of Drug Trafficking on Governance, Security and Development, held at the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre, at Teshie, in Accra.

The Commission was established by the Kofi Annan Foundation, in consultation with international and regional partners, national governments and civil society organizations, in response to the dramatic surge in drug trafficking through West Africa over the past decade.

The Commission is chaired by former President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, and the members are a group of distinguished West Africans, including President Pedro Verona Pires o f Cape Verde.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said the Government of Ghana welcomes the initiative, which was taken by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to raise awareness of the negative impact of drug trafficking in the sub-region.

He said the initiative comes at a crucial time when the countries in the sub-region are facing the threat of sustained instability due to the destructive activities and corrupting influence of drug traffickers.

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Veep stresses collaboration in fight against drug trafficking