The Minister for the Interior and Member of Parliament for Asawase, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has revealed that his Ministry is preparing an Information Paper for Cabinet on the introduction of compulsory drug testing for individuals seeking employment in the public service. He explained that the measure is intended to ensure that recruits are free from drug‑related challenges.
The proposal follows concerns raised during this year’s security services recruitment exercise, where more than 6,000 applicants were disqualified after medical screenings detected drug use and mental health conditions. “Very soon, the Ministry of the Interior will be taking an Information Paper to Cabinet, and one of the things we are going to do is to ensure that nobody gets into public service until we do a drug test on you,” Mr. Muntaka stated.
He made the remarks at the commissioning of a newly constructed six‑unit classroom block at Sakafiya Islamic Senior High School. The Minister noted that the recent recruitment exercise, which involved medical examinations for over 100,000 applicants—including drug testing and mental health assessments—underscored the need for stronger safeguards against drug abuse among prospective public servants.
According to him, more than 4,000 applicants tested positive for drugs, while about 2,000 others were disqualified on mental health grounds. “It is shocking for us this year’s recruitment exercise. When we decided to test for drugs, over 6,000 people were disqualified because they tested positive for one drug or the other,” he said.
“If we had not taken these measures, many individuals would have entered the civil service,” he stated. The Interior Minister also recognized that drug abuse is not limited to potential recruits; some current personnel in the security services are also facing drug-related issues. “Some of the officers in our service are already involved with drugs.
We are taking steps to help them recover,” he stated. He emphasised that the government cannot knowingly recruit and train new personnel who are already abusing drugs. “We will not allow individuals who are known to be using drugs to be trained,” Mr. Muntaka asserted. He also expressed concern about the rising presence of drugs in secondary schools, warning that some students have begun selling tramadol and other harmful substances to their peers.
He urged headteachers and school authorities to pay closer attention to students and activities that could lead to drug abuse. “Today, in some of our secondary schools, some of the students themselves are hiding to sell tramadol and other harmful drugs to their colleagues,” he said. “This is why we are calling on the headmaster to pay attention to these students and what they are doing.” He warned students against peer pressure and claims that substances such as Indian hemp or tramadol could improve academic performance.
“Drugs destroy you forever,” he cautioned.
“What is the use of that exam if by the time you get A-AAAA, you have destroyed yourself?” he asked.
He said drug addiction could be difficult to overcome and could have serious consequences for an individual’s mental health and future prospects.
Mr Muntaka urged students facing poverty and other socioeconomic challenges not to lose hope or turn to drugs.
“Your future is way ahead of you. Your future is much brighter ahead of you,” he told the students.
Muntaka shares personal story
The Interior Minister used his personal experience to encourage the students to remain focused on their education despite financial difficulties. He recalled growing up as the son of a ‘kooko’ seller and helping his mother sell various items, including bananas, groundnuts and mangoes, on the streets of Kumasi.
“I am a ‘kooko’ [porridge] seller’s son. My mother was selling ‘kooko’ in our home,” he said.
He said he never imagined that he would one day become a Member of Parliament given the circumstances in which he grew up.
“If somebody had told me 40 years ago that one day I could even become a Member of Parliament, I would never have believed it,” he said.
Mr Muntaka also compared his educational journey with that of his first son, who began medical school at 17.
“My first son started medical school when he was 17 years. And the day he entered [university] to start his medicine, I told him, ‘Eman, you are very lucky. You are starting medicine at 17. At 17 years, I was still in primary school,’” he recalled.
He urged students not to allow financial difficulties or the responsibility of supporting their parents to convince them that they had no future.
“Don’t let the challenge of today- because your mother is poor, because when you go home, you have to go and help your parents to do one thing or the other- you think that hope is lost. No. There cannot be lost hope,” he said.
New classroom block
The newly constructed six-unit classroom block on the first floor of Sakafiya Islamic Senior High School includes an office and a six-stall water closet facility. This new addition is expected to provide both students and teachers with an improved environment for teaching and learning.
Mr. Muntaka emphasised that investments in educational infrastructure aim to equip young people to become responsible citizens who can contribute meaningfully to national development. He stated, “Students, all these improvements we are making and all the investments we are putting in are for you to become better citizens than we are.” He encouraged the students to make good use of the facilities provided and to stay focused on building a positive future for themselves and for the country.
