The President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has weighed into the ongoing debate over cocaine trafficking, arguing that Ghana must pay equal attention to losses from illegal gold trade and smuggling.
In a social media post, the good governance advocate emphasised that seized gold retains significant economic value, while seized cocaine has no legitimate monetary value once confiscated.
“The value of seized cocaine is ZERO!! Seized gold has value,” Mr Cudjoe stated.
He questioned which of the two commodities—gold or cocaine—costs Ghana more, pointing out that Ghana produces gold but does not produce cocaine.
“The Gold Coast and cocaine coast. Which of the two costs more to Ghana? Can one argue that more gold leave our shores than cocaine? Noting that we produce gold but not cocaine,” he wrote.
Mr Cudjoe said the national conversation should not be dominated by cocaine seizures at the expense of Ghana’s gold sector, particularly the continued smuggling of gold out of the country.
“We should be paying attention to the Gold Coast as well. The cocaine coast should not distract our attention from the Gold Coast,” he emphasised.
He further cited an estimated US$11.4 billion loss to illegal gold smuggling before the emergence of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), referencing a reported 229-metric-tonne trade gap between Ghana’s declared artisanal gold exports and imports recorded by destination countries over a five-year period.
According to Mr Cudjoe, the scale of gold leaving Ghana through illicit channels warrants sustained attention because, unlike cocaine, gold is a legitimate and valuable national resource capable of generating revenue for the country.
He also repeated his central argument later in the post, stating: “The value of seized cocaine is ZERO!! Seized gold has value.”
He ended the post with a call for greater attention to Ghana’s gold economy, urging GoldBod to continue its good work. “GoldBod, taaso!”.
By: Christian Kpesese/NR NEWS
