President John Dramani Mahama appears to have taken a swipe at the Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, over the latter’s recent allegation of cocaine smuggling and money laundering by two planes at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
Speaking at the 2025 Graduation Ceremony of the Ghana Military Academy on Friday, April 11, 2025, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces indicated that while Ghanaians are encouraged to share information with security agencies, what they share must be credible.
He urged that people should not make unfounded national security claims since it distracts the security services in the performance of their duties.
“The complementary roles of individuals, organisations and the government in national security is of critical importance. I urge our citizens, in discharging this complementary duty of helping to safeguard our nation, not to behave like the shepherd boy in the famous fable who cried ‘wolf, wolf’ when there was no wolf.
“If we behave like that boy either for partisan or parochial interest, we distract the attention of our security services from focusing on their critical job of keeping us safe,” he said.
He added, “Let us support our security services and the Ghana Armed Forces with information that is useful and intelligence that is helpful, that will advance their work rather than retrogress it. Let me reiterate that we will take all allegations of crime seriously and trigger our security service investigative machinery to go after criminals no matter who they are. But let me state emphatically also that we do not have the resources and time to engage in any game of smoke and mirrors.”
President Mahama also condemned the recent clashes in Bawku in the Upper East Region that led to at least one person dying and the destruction of several properties.
He said that the mediation into the Bawku conflict, which is being led by the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, will recommence soon to help resolve the conflict.
“The Ghana Armed Forces is engaged in several threats in several theatres to maintain peace and security in our nation. One major flashpoint continues to be the Bawku area. Only two days ago, an incident in a marketplace triggered an unfortunate loss of lives and criminal vandalism of property.
“I wish to emphasise that nobody gains from this situation of conflict and insecurity. We have triggered the Otumfuo mediation process, which saw all stakeholders participate in discussions in Kumasi on a roadmap towards peace. I’m assured by the Asantehene that the process will resume next when he returns from his brief visit abroad,” he said.
Even though President Mahama did not categorically mention Rev Ntim Fordjour’s name during his remarks, the MP has been in the news for the allegations he made.
The Assin South MP, who is also the Minority’s Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, claimed at a press conference on April 1, 2025, that two flights, an air ambulance and a private jet, might have been involved in drug trafficking or money laundering.
He alleged that one of the aircraft, AirMED Flight N823AM, landed in Ghana on March 20 and stayed for five days without any record of transporting a patient.
These allegations led President John Dramani Mahama to order security agencies to “immediately and fully collaborate with the honourable Member of Parliament so he provides all necessary information to investigate the allegations and take all action necessary to expose any drug dealing.”
Watch a video of President Mahama’s remarks below:
