The Upper West Regional Director of Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has called for tougher sentencing guidelines following what he describes as “disappointingly lenient” court rulings against illegal drug vendors.
Sankpal Dafaari Kelvin revealed disturbing details of recent enforcement operations during a youth sensitization program organized by Aware Minds Foundation in Wa.
Kelvin cited a May 30 raid in Nabulo where authorities discovered a shop exclusively stocking unregistered pharmaceuticals, including Tramadol 500mg tablets – five times Ghana’s legal dosage limit. The operation nearly turned violent when community members attempted retaliation, requiring intervention from regional security forces. Despite the gravity of offenses uncovered, courts imposed only nominal fines – including one case where a GHC1,920 penalty stood in stark contrast to the GHC6,950 operational costs incurred by regulators.
The FDA official disclosed that some offenders attempt to bribe their way out of prosecution, referencing a 2023 case where a suspect offered GHC30,000 for an out-of-court settlement. With Tramadol abuse becoming increasingly prevalent among Ghanaian youth, Kelvin stressed that current penalties under Section 118 of the Public Health Act remain inadequate deterrents. “We need custodial sentences that match the severity of these crimes,” he asserted, warning that weak judicial outcomes jeopardize drug control efforts nationwide.
