Mahama summons top officials to Jubilee House over border security and narcotics trafficking

President John Dramani Mahama has moved to confront concerns over Ghana’s border security and the trafficking of narcotic drugs, with a high-level meeting involving some of the country’s key security, ports and revenue officials scheduled for Thursday, September 17, 2026.

An invitation from the Office of the President shows that the meeting will take place at Jubilee House at 12:30 p.m., with the heads of several critical institutions expected to attend.

The high-level engagement is focused on finding practical ways to strengthen Ghana’s borders and prevent the movement of narcotic drugs and other illicit substances through the country’s ports, airports and land borders.

Mahama brings key institutions together

The meeting is expected to bring together officials from institutions at the frontline of Ghana’s border and security operations.

Among those invited are the Ministers for Finance and Foreign Affairs, the Director-General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, the Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Sector Commander of the Customs Division at the Tema Collection.

Also on the list are the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, operators of terminal scanners, the Chief Executive of Ghana Link Network Services Ltd and the Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Port Services Ltd, Director-General of the National Intelligence Bureau, representatives of the Ghana Police Service’s Criminal Investigations Department/Interpol, Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission and Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company Limited have also been invited.

No room for excuses

The Office of the President has made it clear that the meeting is not merely for officials to attend and listen.

Each institution is expected to be represented by its head, accompanied by not more than one relevant technical officer.

Participants have been instructed to come prepared with an assessment of existing security gaps and practical proposals for addressing them.

The areas to be examined include intelligence sharing, surveillance, cargo and passenger screening, inter-agency coordination and the use of technology to detect and disrupt narcotics trafficking.

Narcotics trafficking comes under the spotlight

The meeting comes with narcotics control firmly at the centre of the agenda.

The government is seeking to examine vulnerabilities that could be exploited by traffickers operating through Ghana’s ports, airports and land borders.

Authorities are expected to explore how intelligence and technology can be deployed more effectively to identify suspicious activities and strengthen joint enforcement operations.

The emphasis on coordination among the various agencies could also see officials confront weaknesses in the existing system and determine how information can be shared more quickly among institutions.

Personal attendance required

The seriousness with which the government is treating the matter is reflected in the directive for the personal attendance of the invited officials.

The Office of the President described the meeting as urgent because of its national-security implications.

The high-level gathering could therefore result in new measures aimed at tightening Ghana’s border controls and strengthening the fight against narcotics trafficking.

As the September 17 meeting approaches, all eyes will be on Jubilee House as the government brings together the institutions responsible for Ghana’s borders, ports, airports, intelligence, customs, policing and narcotics control to find a coordinated response to the threat.