Importers and operators at Tema Port have welcomed the withdrawal of Hajia Rashida Mahama and other National Security operatives, following reports of harassment and illicit activities at the port.
Rashida Mahama, who served as National Security Operative in Charge of Intelligence and Monitoring at the port, along with all affected personnel, have been asked to report back to the National Security Secretariat (Blue-Gate) in Accra for reassignment.
Reliable sources indicate that Hajia Rashida allegedly collected money from importers under the pretext that her actions were “orders from above,” claiming that her superiors had instructed her to enforce such payments. The reports sparked outrage among traders, who described the conduct as unacceptable and a disruption to port operations.
The National Security Council has launched a broad restructuring of Tema Port operations to enforce discipline, boost efficiency, and safeguard national revenue.
The National Security Coordinator, DCOP Razak Abdul-Osman, has dissolved all special task forces and operational units at the port, with immediate effect, to remove parallel command structures and redundancies.
A source at the port told The Overseer Newspaper that the reforms are part of the government’s broader effort to secure critical national assets and ensure that the port functions as a professional, transparent hub for trade. The source added that the Internal Affairs Unit has been tasked to oversee the implementation of these reforms.
Civil society groups, including the Anti-Economic Saboteurs Bureau, had previously petitioned the government, alleging the existence of a sophisticated revenue and fraud syndicate at Tema Port. According to the bureau, the syndicate had effectively turned the port into “a family NGO,” with some operatives exploiting their positions for personal gain.
The removal of Hajia Rashida Mahama and other operatives has been welcomed by port operators, who hope the changes will restore integrity, professionalism, and efficiency to Ghana’s busiest port.
