The Minority in Parliament has formally petitioned Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin to recall the House from recess to consider what it describes as urgent matters of national importance arising from a series of major narcotics seizures linked to Ghana.
The request was contained in a memorandum dated September 18, 2026, and submitted by the First Deputy Minority Whip and Member of Parliament for Tolon, Habib Iddrisu, on behalf of the undersigned MPs.
The lawmakers said they had secured the support of at least 15 per cent of Members of Parliament, as required under Article 112(3) of the 1992 Constitution, to request an extraordinary meeting of the House.
Article 112(3) provides that 15 per cent of MPs may request a meeting of Parliament, after which the Speaker is required to summon the House within seven days. Order 53 of Parliament’s Standing Orders also provides for the summoning of the House upon a request by the requisite number of members.
Dunkirk cocaine seizure
The immediate concern raised by the Minority is the reported seizure by French authorities of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10, 2026.
According to the petition, the cocaine was concealed in a container of plastic waste that had departed Ghana. French authorities reportedly valued the consignment at about €225 million, or roughly US$260 million.
The MPs said the incident raises questions about the security and integrity of Ghana’s ports and export systems, customs controls, intelligence gathering and narcotics enforcement.
They stressed that the proposed parliamentary scrutiny should establish the relevant facts without interfering with ongoing investigations or prejudicing the rights of persons under investigation.
Call for parliamentary inquiry
The Minority is asking Parliament to establish an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the Dunkirk shipment and broader institutional and security concerns arising from recent drug-related incidents.
Among the institutions it wants to appear before Parliament are the Ministries of the Interior, Transport and National Security, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Immigration Service and National Intelligence Bureau.
The MPs want Parliament to establish how the container was processed and exported from Ghana, the port through which it departed, and the inspection, scanning and clearance procedures applied to the consignment.
They are also seeking information on the companies and institutions involved in processing and clearing the shipment, the progress of investigations and arrests, and the extent of cooperation between Ghanaian authorities and their French and other international counterparts.
The petition further calls for an assessment of measures to identify the financiers, organisers and networks behind major narcotics trafficking operations, as well as the adequacy of security, scanning, intelligence and surveillance systems at Ghana’s ports, airports and other points of entry and exit.
Other narcotics incidents
The MPs also cited several other drug-related incidents since 2025 as justification for their request.
They referred to the March 4, 2025 seizure of more than 3.3 tonnes of cocaine concealed beneath sand in a tipper truck at Pedu Junction in Cape Coast, which they said had an estimated street value exceeding US$350 million.
They also cited the reported interception of about 120 slabs of cocaine along the Takoradi-Cape Coast highway during the same period, as well as the August 5, 2026 seizure of 866 parcels of suspected cocaine concealed in sacks of gari at a warehouse within the Tema Harbour enclave.
The memorandum also referred to an aircraft that allegedly arrived at Kotoka International Airport from Gran Canaria carrying narcotics and undeclared US currency, as well as the case involving the MV Sankofa.
The lawmakers further cited the June 2026 seizure by Australian authorities of 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in a charcoal consignment traced to Ghana.
The Minority argues that the various incidents, taken together, warrant urgent parliamentary scrutiny because of their implications for national security, public safety, Ghana’s international reputation and the integrity of the country’s border and financial systems.
Parliament already summoned
The petition came days before Speaker Bagbin subsequently summoned Parliament to sit on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at noon at Parliament House in Accra.
In a notice issued on September 24, the Speaker invoked Article 112(3) of the Constitution and Order 53 of the Standing Orders in summoning the House. The notice did not specify the business to be considered at the sitting.
The Minority’s memorandum said its request was made in the national interest and was intended to enable Parliament to exercise its constitutional responsibilities of oversight and accountability.
“We make this request in good faith and in the national interest, recognising Parliament’s responsibility to ensuring transparency, accountability and effective oversight of institutions entrusted with the security of the Republic,” the MPs stated.
The lawmakers have therefore asked the Speaker to ensure that the House considers the narcotics-related concerns and their wider implications, while allowing ongoing criminal investigations to proceed without interference.
