The Paramount Chief of the Buipe Traditional Area and Vice President of the National House of Chiefs, Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor II, has described the abuse of opioids and other hard drugs as a major threat to national security.
Buipewura Jinapor emphasized that traditional authorities must take the lead in the fight against drug abuse within their jurisdictions to support ongoing national efforts to combat the menace. He expressed concern that if the situation is not addressed promptly, the country could face a leadership crisis in the future.
“The sale and usage of these hard drugs must be taken seriously, beyond how we currently view it. It is a security issue, and the earlier we recognize it as such, the better for us as a country,
“The consumers of these drugs are the youth, and if we allow this canker to spread among the younger generation, we are doomed.”
He stressed that traditional authorities have a critical role to play in addressing drug abuse.
“Chiefs must collaborate with security agencies to clamp down on the menace. We must see this fight as a shared responsibility and endeavor to report both the sellers and users of hard drugs,” he stated.
Buipewura Jinapor also disagreed with the notion that unemployment is the sole reason young people engage in drug abuse.
“There are vast virgin lands across many parts of the country, but the youth are not interested in farming. Traditional authorities must freely allocate lands to the youth to encourage agricultural ventures,” he suggested.
The increasing surge in drug usage among young people has become a major obstacle to Ghana’s sustainable growth.
Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, recently reaffirmed the government’s commitment to combating drug abuse and illicit trafficking to create a safer and drug-free environment in the country.
