The decision of the Director-General (DG) of the Narcotic Control Commission (NACOC) Kenneth Adu-Amanfoh and his board to introduce uniforms to the staff and personnel of the anti-drug outfit has taken on a life of its own, receiving backlashes and sustained criticism from both security and none security experts.
But NACOC is being hard ears. Against the directive of the Minister of Interior, Henry Quartey to halt the implementation of the uniform initiative until further notice, the New Crusading GUIDE can report that all Regional Commanders have been ordered to “purchase their uniform by the end of October 2024.”
The DG following the Minister’s directive, in a memo to everyone, dated 14 June, 2024 at 11:38am, directed that “Officers are being informed to suspend wearing of the NACOC Uniform with immediate effect.”
However, that did not last long. In a circular from Regional Operations Directorate, dated 24 September, 2024 at 05:02pm(published), addressed to Offices and Posts outside of the headquarters, NACOC ordered further that “Regional Commanders are to ensure that all officers under their Command do same (purchase their uniform by the end of October),” and they are to comply by it strictly.
It does not end there, NACOC, in blatant disregard for it supervising institution has even gone ahead to organise uniform handling and wearing protocol training to the chagrin of its staff.
Amidst concerns about cost of the uniform, rationale for the choice of colours of the uniform, and the mandate of NACOC officials and as an entity, which about 90% of the staff who oppose the uniform policy say have not been addressed, they are also calling on the presidency to call their Director-General to order before plunges the commission into chaos.
Chiefly amongst the staff agitations is that the cost of the uniforms is too high, given that they are required to pay between GHc5320 as officers at the rank of CNCO and GHc4760 for the rank of ANCOII, which is the least rank for the senior officers.
That aside, NACOC personnel are in rages about the security of their personnel, arguing that given the nature of their job-chasing and arresting drugs- big or small, it would not be prudent to make them easy targets for drug cartels who could easily identify them because of their uniform.
They are also questioning the rationale behind the choice of the wine colour for the ceremonial dress, the white, and wine and beige coloured camouflage for their daily routines, when nothing about drug fight relates to the wine colour.
More anon.
