Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has recalled Parliament from recess for an emergency sitting on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, following growing concerns over major narcotics seizures involving consignments linked to Ghana.
In a notice issued on Thursday, September 24, the Speaker directed Members of Parliament to report to the House at 12 noon at Parliament House in Accra. The notice was issued pursuant to Article 112(3) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 53 of Parliament’s Standing Orders.
Although the notice does not specify the business for the sitting, the recall follows a formal request by the Minority Caucus for Parliament to reconvene and examine what it considers urgent national security concerns arising from a series of drug seizures.
The Minority invoked the constitutional provision that allows Parliament to be recalled when at least 15 percent of its members make a request for an extraordinary meeting. The caucus says the scale of the seizures requires parliamentary oversight of Ghana’s ports, customs systems, intelligence gathering and narcotics enforcement.
At the centre of the concerns is the seizure by French authorities of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10, 2026. The consignment was concealed in a container of plastic waste that had departed Ghana.
The Minority has also cited several other narcotics seizures since 2025 and says the value of major consignments linked to Ghana exceeds US$1 billion. It wants Parliament to establish how the shipments were processed, inspected and cleared, and to examine the roles of the various state agencies involved.
The caucus is seeking answers from institutions including the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Immigration Service and National Intelligence Bureau, as well as the relevant sector Ministers.
The Minority has stressed that its proposed inquiry is not intended to interfere with ongoing criminal investigations or prejudge persons under investigation, but to enable Parliament to exercise its oversight and accountability functions.
The call for the recall, however, has faced opposition from some Majority MPs.
Wa West MP and Vice Chairman of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Peter Lanchene Toobu, argued that existing parliamentary committees already have the mandate to examine the matter and that recalling the entire House would not necessarily strengthen oversight.
South Dayi MP and Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor has similarly questioned the need for a full parliamentary inquiry while NACOC and the Police are conducting investigations.
He argued that Parliament should not duplicate the work of institutions legally mandated to investigate and prosecute narcotics-related offences.
The September 29 sitting will therefore provide Parliament with an opportunity to determine how the House intends to exercise its oversight role in relation to the seizures, while investigations by the relevant security and law-enforcement agencies continue.
