The Upper West Regional office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), led by Regional Director Sankpal Dafaari Kelvin, has intensified its call for harsher punishments for those involved in the illegal sale and abuse of Tramadol and other unregistered drugs.
Speaking at a drug abuse sensitization program organized by the Aware Minds Foundation for basic school pupils in Sissala East Municipality on July 18, 2025, Kelvin criticized current penalties as too lenient to deter offenders.
He cited a recent operation in Nabulo, where a shop was found selling unregistered drugs, including illegal 500mg Tramadol tablets (locally called “the red”), far exceeding Ghana’s legal limit of 100mg. The raid on May 30, 2025, nearly turned violent, requiring intervention from the Upper West Regional Minister and police to arrest the suspect.
Charged under Section 118 of the Public Health Act, which allows for up to 15 years in prison or a 1,500-penalty-unit fine, the suspect received only a GHC 1,920 fine (160 penalty units), despite Kelvin’s team spending GHC 6,950 on the operation.
Frustrated, Kelvin argued that such light penalties undermine enforcement efforts and waste resources, referencing a 2023 case where a fine was raised from GHC 2,000 to GHC 4,000 after his protest, though the suspect offered a GHC 30,000 bribe, which he rejected.
Kelvin stressed that custodial sentences are essential to deter illegal drug trafficking, warning that weak penalties could discourage future FDA operations.
