By Joyce Kantam Kolamong
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has expressed disappointment over Monday’s court judgment in Tamale involving a pharmaceutical distributor who was arrested for possessing a large quantity of opioids last week.
The 53-year-old dealer, Alhaji Abdulai Sayuti, was sentenced to a fine of 14,000 penalty units, equivalent to 168,000 Ghana cedis, or a 25-year prison sentence if he fails to pay the sum. Last week, he pleaded guilty to two charges: possession of restricted drugs without lawful authority and prohibited sale of restricted drugs without lawful authority, before fainting in court. The judgment has been met with widespread disappointment from stakeholders, including the FDA and the public.
In an exclusive interview with GBC News in Tamale, the Northern Regional Head of the FDA, Zakaria Briamah, stated that the fine was “just a peanut” and that a more severe sentence would have served as a deterrent to others involved in the illicit trade.
Background
The arrest was the result of weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering by law enforcement as part of a campaign to disrupt the illicit drug supply in Tamale and surrounding areas. According to Zakaria Briamah, the case involved a significant seizure of opioids, with the judge noting that it was the largest quantity he had encountered. Despite this, the sentence delivered by His Honor Francis Asubayere was seen as lenient, and stakeholders are calling for more punitive measures to be taken against those involved in opioid trafficking. He said stakeholders are meeting to appeal the court judgment.
“We were expecting if he had gone for the 25,000 penalty units, that could serve as a deterrent. All of us were thinking that this guy, even if he had gone to jail for 10 years, or even 5 years, would have served enough deterrent to other people. So this fight, you see, we are doing our best, but we think that maybe all stakeholders should join in, and especially the judges.”
He added, “So currently we are meeting to see whether there is a way to appeal the judgment, because we want an instance where others will learn from it, to stop this business.”
Concerns
The Regional FDA boss said the FDA, together with other stakeholders, had hoped for a sentence that would reflect the severity of the offense.
“The police and the judges should all come together and see that if we have to be giving these small, small fines to offenders, in fact, it would not encourage people; it would not even motivate people to report to us. Because this case, the local task force, they reported, and then we followed up to his shop and then picked the items and arrested him,” he noted.
Impact on Efforts to Combat Opioid Trafficking
The lenient sentence has raised concerns about the effectiveness of efforts to combat opioid trafficking in the region. Mr. Briamah emphasized that the FDA and other agencies were working together to address the issue, but the judgment may undermine these efforts.
Way Forward
To combat opioid trafficking, the Regional Coordinating Council has formed two committees: an enforcement committee and an educational committee. The enforcement committee comprises various stakeholders, including the vigilante group and Rent Control, to tackle the issue from different angles. The educational committee will focus on sensitizing the public, especially the youth, about the dangers of opioid use.
Appeal to Stakeholders
Mr. Briamah appealed to all stakeholders, including the judicial service, to join hands in the fight against opioid trafficking. He emphasized the need for punitive measures to be enhanced to deter others from engaging in this illicit trade. According to him, the FDA has received support from national security, with assurances of “logistical assistance” to combat opioid trafficking. The regional minister is also actively involved in the efforts to address the issue.
Conclusion
He said the FDA boss, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Manso Opuni, and other agencies remain committed to fighting opioid trafficking in the Northern Region.
“My new boss has been on this fight because these are issues that he has come to meet, and then he will not countenance any adverse decisions. So we are all on our feet, trying to fight it seriously.”
Despite the setback from the lenient sentence, the FDA hopes to learn from the experience and intensify efforts to protect the region from the adverse effects of opioid abuse.
