Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, John Ntim Fordjour, has urged the government to deploy a high-level delegation to Burkina Faso following reports of the killing of Ghanaian traders.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour said 72 hours after news of the incident emerged, it was important for the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to go beyond official statements and ascertain the facts on the ground.
According to him, a direct engagement between Ghana’s Defence Minister and his counterpart in Burkina Faso would help establish the true circumstances surrounding the incident and clarify any arrangements going forward.
“Our expectation is that they ought to pay a high-level visit, particularly between the Defence Minister in Ghana and Burkina Faso to ascertain the actual circumstances that led to the killing,” he stated in an interview on TV3 NewsCentral, Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
His comments follow the death of seven Ghanaians who were killed by terrorists at Titao, a town in northern Burkina Faso, on Saturday, February 14, 2026.
The victims, tomato traders from Ghana, were travelling in a truck when the attack occurred.
The Interior Minister, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, said the traders were in Titao when jihadists launched an attack, specifically targeting the men.
Among those travelling on one truck were ten men, including the driver, and eight women. Seven men were killed, and three others sustained serious injuries. Some of the women were affected but not seriously injured.
He stressed that such a visit would demonstrate seriousness on the part of government and provide clarity on the steps being taken to protect Ghanaian citizens.
The Assin South MP insisted that the Minority expects the three sector ministers; Defence, Interior and National Security Ministers to urgently brief Parliament at plenary and respond to questions on the steps being taken to address the situation and safeguard national security.
“So, today, this afternoon. The Minority, it is our urgent expectation that the joint Ministers, Minister responsible for Defence and the Foreign Affairs Minister and the Minister responsible for National Security should appear in the House as a matter of urgency to brief the House. We have a lot of questions to ask them at plenary and in the Chamber for them to be able to assure Ghanaians what steps and measures they are taking,” he stated.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour described the development as a “major Defence leadership failure,” arguing that Ghana’s security architecture possesses sufficient intelligence capabilities that should help prevent such incidents.
He further raised concerns over the absence of a substantive Defence Minister for the past seven months, noting that the Acting Minister is concurrently handling responsibilities related to cocoa financing.
According to him, the dual responsibilities may limit the coordination and leadership required at the Defence Ministry, particularly in matters involving intelligence collaboration with Burkina Faso.
“It is for a reason that constitutionally Minister for Defence is expected to be appointed. For seven months, we have not had a substantive Minister for Defence and so for seven months there is an Acting Minister who is engaged in cocoa financing and its challenges. So, he would have very little time to coordinate leadership for the Ministry of Defence to coordinate intelligence between the counterparts in Burkina Faso and those who are here,” Ntim Fordjour noted.
