Akwamu: The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) is set to establish its first training school at Akwamu in the Eastern Region of Ghana, following a 100-acre land donation by the Akwamuhene and his elders to the Commission.
According to Ghana News Agency, this development follows a formal engagement between a delegation from the Commission and the Akwamu Traditional Council, during which the Commission expressed its intention to establish the training school and sought the Council's support for the initiative. The gesture, endorsed by the Council, was acknowledged as a partnership between the state and traditional authorities.
During a courtesy call by NACOC to the Akwamu Traditional Council, Mr. Twum Barima, the Deputy Director-General in charge of Enforcement, Control and Elimination, stated that the visit was to introduce Brigadier-General Maxwell Mantey, the Director-General of NACOC, and his team to the Council. The visit also served to show appreciation to the Council for its support in the establishment of the training school.
Mr. Barima mentioned that currently, NACOC relies on the Ghana Army and Ghana Navy for the training of its staff since it does not have a training school. The Commission's personnel are presently undergoing training at the Naval Training School in Tema, while newly recruited officers are receiving training at a designated suburb within the Volta Region. He emphasized the need for NACOC to have its own training school, similar to other services like the Police and Immigration.
He highlighted the potential of such developments to transform local communities, referencing the establishment of the Police Training School at Patase, Kumasi, in the early 1980s. He expressed confidence that NACOC's training school would become central to the town.
Mr. Barima also noted that since assuming office a few weeks ago, NACOC had recorded a series of arrests due to intelligence indicating widespread trafficking of illicit substances. Thanks to NACOC's intelligence unit, many suspects were already identified and would be apprehended. He assured that all suspects were promptly processed for court within a maximum of three days.
Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, King of Akwamu State (Akwamuhene), congratulated the Director-General and his deputies on their appointments. He expressed concern over the increasing use of hard drugs among the youth, which posed a threat to society's future. He emphasized the importance of NACOC's role in curbing this trend and promoting healthy lifestyles for the nation's development and stability.
In recognition of the project's significance, the Akwamuhene engaged with divisional chiefs to explore the possibility of allocating additional land to ensure the training school proceeded without hindrance. He mentioned that the Council had engaged the Lands Commission and other relevant agencies to inform them about the upcoming project.