Deputy Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Alexander Twum-Barimah has dismissed public perception that the Commission’s recent raids and operations against illicit drug trade is to garner media attention.
Mr. Twum-Barimah vehemently opposed such claims in an interview on TV3’s Hot Issues, Sunday, July 27, 2025.
He explained that NACOC is mandated to update the public on its operations by law because the Commission is working for Ghanaians and not for media attention.
He emphasised that NACOC does not publicise its operations solely to generate media attention but to fulfill its mandate by making the public aware of their tasks.
“We don’t need media attention for anything. You need to understand the work from an angle, the angle is that we are not working for ourselves, we are working for you (Ghanaians). The entire 35 million people cannot come and sit at the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and be working, it is not possible.
“So they have to delegate and they have delegated us to come and sit there and work for them. So, if you appoint me to go and work for you, don’t you need to do whatever I am doing there, you need to know. That is why we always bring it to your notice by law.
“We don’t need media attention for anything and in any case when we report, we don’t report ourselves, we report the event and not the leadership,” he told host, Keminni Amanor.
He continued: “For us we don’t really need it (media attention) but we need to just bring whatever thing that is happening to bare or to the attention of Ghanaians, that is all.”
He added that the Commission is intensifying its fight against the proliferation of illicit drugs in the country.
Twum-Barimah noted that the recent raids and confiscation of illicit drugs in some parts of the country is due to the Commission’s unrelentless efforts.
According to him, the Commission’s hard work has resulted in these recent drug busts, noting that it has decided to take the fight against illicit drugs to the doorstep of Ghanaians.
“NACOC is working hard. But now we are taking the fight to their doorstep and about a week or so when we destroyed some quantities of drugs, the Director-General made it clear that from July we are going to extremely intensify the fight,” he stated.
