Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said that Ghana will first independently vet the background of those the US intends to deport to Ghana to ensure that they do not pose any threats to the security of our country.
He says the Government of Ghana has put in place strict safeguards to ensure that convicted hardened criminals cannot be brought into Ghana.
Mr. Ablakwa explained during a press conference in Accra on Monday, September 15, that the arrangement with the US is an MoU, not a binding treaty, and as such, falls within the executive’s purview and established conventions that do not mandate immediate parliamentary approval.
“As a nation that upholds the dignity and rights of all people, particularly those of African descent, Ghana’s actions were guided solely by moral responsibility, our legal obligations under the 1992 Constitution and ECOWAS protocols, and our Pan-African values,” he stated.
“Under this understanding with the US, Ghana must first independently vet the background of those the US intends to deport to satisfy ourselves that they do not pose any threats to the security of our country,” he said.
“We have put in place strict safeguards to ensure that convicted hardened criminals cannot be brought into our country under this understanding. The Mahama administration will never compromise the security and well-being of Ghanaians.”
He added that the MoU has already been thoroughly reviewed by Cabinet and the Attorney-General, noting that this approach aligns with precedents set by previous administrations.
“I have inherited hundreds of MoUs from the previous administration which were not sent to Parliament for ratification,” Ablakwa noted.
“May I assure the nation that if this initial understanding is elevated into a full-blown agreement, we shall not hesitate to comply with Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution by proceeding to Parliament for ratification.”
During the Presidential Media Encounter at Jubilee House on Wednesday, September 10, the President revealed that the initial 14 individuals have already been received, most of whom were Nigerians, with a Gambian national.
“We were approached by the US to accept third-party nationals who were being removed from the US, and then we agreed with them that West African nationals were acceptable, because all our fellow West Africans don’t need a visa to come to our country.
“So, if they decided to travel from the US to Accra, they don’t need a visa anyway. So, if you are bringing our colleague West Africans back, that’s okay,” President Mahama explained.
According to John Mahama, most of the deportees are Nigerians and have since been sent back to Nigeria by bus on their request.
Ghana is currently in talks with Gambian authorities to facilitate the return of the Gambian national after he required additional coordination with the Gambian Embassy to secure an air ticket for repatriation.
“West Africa has the protocol of free movement, and so any West African is free to come to Ghana and be able to stay for 90 days. And so if they are bringing our colleagues back, we don’t have a problem accepting them,” he said.
