News:
September 24, 2026
Majority Leader James Agalga has described as premature the Minority’s request to the Speaker to recall Parliament to discuss the recent narcotics menace in the country and beyond. Addressing the press on Thursday, Agalga said government has already taken major steps to fight the menace, including restoring NACOC as one of the institutions to conduct mandatory inspections at ports and entry points.
Agalga said government had intervened in the quest to curb drug trafficking, citing marked improvements in arrests and prosecutions. He pointed to interventions such as the establishment of a dedicated court to prosecute narcotics-related cases, a revised money laundering regime, and a shift from physical detection and human-based intelligence operations to technology-driven intelligence operations.
Answering questions at the presser, he questioned the Minority’s push for a parliamentary probe while law enforcement agencies are seriously investigating and arresting suspects, some of whom have already been arraigned before court. “I seriously have my doubts as to the real intent of that particular request for what it is meant to achieve,” he said.
He stressed that Parliament is not an arm of government that engages in criminal investigations. Normally, he said, Parliament exercises oversight after criminal investigation agencies have concluded their work; if Parliament believes investigations were not properly carried out, it can invite the agencies to appear before relevant committees and respond to queries.
He warned that while investigations are still ongoing, multiple concurrent investigations into the same matter could lead to different conclusions and create chaos. He said that was why he believed the Minority’s request for the Speaker to recall Parliament was premature.
Agalga said most of the matters cited by the Minority involved seizures that have already been dealt with, including kilograms of cocaine intercepted and publicly destroyed. He argued that improved detection and interdiction under the government meant news of cocaine or heroin interdictions and arrests showed progress by NACOC, and he predicted more arrests as detection capabilities increase, with suspects prosecuted in a timely manner before the newly established specialized court.
Ghanamps.com