Parliament has adjourned until further notice after the House was reconvened under urgency to consider a motion by the Minority caucus for an Adhoc committee to be set up to investigate the recent drug busts.
The House held its emergency sitting on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 and after several debates from both sides on the motion filed by the Minority, the Speaker Alban Bagbin dismissed the motion as it was inadmissible.
“It is inadmissible under Standing Orders 5, 6, 103 rue F, Order 192 and Order 233 and I accordingly dismiss this motion in limine,” Bagbin announced.
Before the House was adjourned, Minority leader rose to comment on the dismissal ruling by the Speaker, but Alban Bagbin did not allow him to comment on the ruling.
“Minority leader, I am aware of similar situations in the past in these matters. If that is where you want to take us back, I am sorry I can’t give you the position. I am sorry I will not give you the opportunity. You cannot react on what I have ruled.
“Honourable members, without much I do, this House is accordingly adjourned until further notice,” Bagbin noted.
The motion, filed by First Deputy Minority Whip and Tolon MP Habib Iddrisu, called for the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate a series of high-profile narcotics seizures in Ghana and abroad.
Among the incidents cited was the seizure of 3.9 metric tonnes of cocaine by French Customs at Dunkirk on September 10, 2026, which the motion values at $261 million.
It also cited the seizure of 320kg of methamphetamine by Australian Border Force on June 18, 2026, as well as cocaine interceptions in Takoradi and Pedu in Cape Coast in March 2025.
The proposed committee would investigate the circumstances under which the consignments were processed and cleared in Ghana, including the ports from which they departed and the intelligence profiling, scanning, physical inspection and customs procedures applied.
The motion also sought to establish the identities and roles of companies, state agencies and other entities involved in processing and clearing the consignments, subject to legitimate restrictions arising from ongoing criminal investigations.
The proposed inquiry would further examine the adequacy of Ghana’s security systems at its ports, airports and other entry and exit points, including scanning, surveillance and intelligence capabilities.
The Minority was also asking Parliament to examine the status of investigations, arrests and prosecutions connected to the seizures and assess the extent of cooperation and intelligence sharing between Ghanaian authorities and international law-enforcement agencies.
