Ashaiman’s traditional leader, Nii Annan Adzor, has launched a sweeping community campaign to combat the escalating abuse of synthetic opioids, particularly a lethal street drug known as “Wonim Red.”
The initiative, rolled out on April 16, 2025, through a vibrant public procession and rally, seeks to mobilize residents, religious groups, and security agencies against a crisis threatening the municipality’s youth.
Dubbed “Stop Red Before It Stops You,” the campaign began with a float procession organized by the Nii Annang Adzor Foundation (NAAF). Participants marched from Ashaiman Presby Junction through key neighborhoods including Jericho Road, Main Station, Lebanon Zone, and Night Market before converging at the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly. Armed with placards, music, and educational outreach, the event targeted hotspots where “Wonim Red,” a potent mix of tramadol and psychoactive substances, has fueled addiction and public health emergencies.
Nii Annan Adzor condemned the drug’s proliferation, calling it a “ticking time bomb” eroding the future of Ashaiman’s youth. “This poison is destroying our children. We cannot sit idle while potential leaders waste away,” he stated, urging border security agencies to intensify surveillance against smuggling via Ghana’s porous frontiers. He specifically cited areas like Lebanon, Jericho, and Tsinai Agbe Electoral Area as hubs for illicit drug sales, demanding police raids to dismantle distribution networks.
The campaign, backed by the Ashaiman Traditional Council, Municipal Assembly, education authorities, and religious leaders, also aims to leverage Easter festivities for youth sensitization. Apostle Prince Philip Amanor of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council pledged to integrate anti-drug messaging into church programs, warning that urbanization and social media influences risk normalizing addiction. “We see young men collapsing at work zombies. This isn’t God’s plan,” he said, urging congregations to confront peer pressure and toxic online content.
Ashaiman’s Education Director, Clifford Henaku Budu, linked drug abuse to rising crime and mental health crises, vowing to amplify school-based prevention efforts. “Addiction jeopardizes everything health, finances, social cohesion. Media must join this fight,” he emphasized.
The initiative reflects broader concerns over West Africa’s opioid epidemic, exacerbated by weak regulation and cross-border trafficking. With Ghana’s opioid-related deaths doubling since 2020, advocates stress that grassroots campaigns paired with policy reforms are critical to curbing dependency.
As Ashaiman’s streets echo with calls for action, the campaign underscores a pivotal question: Can community-led mobilization, backed by institutional resolve, turn the tide against a crisis scripting tragedies in real time? For Nii Annan Adzor, the answer lies in sustained unity. “Protecting Ashaiman isn’t optional, it’s survival.”
