Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has told the government of Ghana to seek parliamentary approval before committing troops to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to deal with the coup in Niger.
Kpebu said Ghanaian soldiers would not leave Ghana without legislative approval.
“Until parliament approves it Ghanaian soldiers won’t leave Ghana, President Akufo-Addo should come to Parliament,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, August 19, 2023.
Prior to Kpebu’s submission, Ranking member on the Defence and Interior Committee of Ghana’s Parliament James Agalga said that the committee is concerned about whether or not the government of Ghana can contribute troops to the ECOWAS to deal with the situation in Niger without parliamentary approval.
He said the committee has held a meeting on this matter but he refrained from making further comments on the details of the meetings due to the sensitive security nature of the discussions held.
“If Ghana has to contribute troops, how do we fund the troops, from which resources? Do you now understand why it is compelling for it to come to Parliament?” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, August 19.
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He added “There is no provision in the constitution that says the government should come to Parliament but the spirit requires that before you commit people’s relatives to war where they could die, you need the consent of the people…by going through their representatives in the national assembly. We must be forthright and do the right thing.
“Sanctions are enough, already UN has faulted the components of the sanctions,” the Builsa North Member of Parliament added.
The Commissioner for Political, Peace and Security of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Dr Abdul Fatau Musa, has said that the junta in Niger is playing a cat-and-mouse game with the community.
He has nonetheless assured, that by all means, democratic rule would be restored in Niger.
“By all means available, constitutional order will be restored,” Dr Fatau stressed.
“If push comes to shove, we are going into Niger with our machinery, we are not going to beg for alms,” he said at the extraordinary meeting ongoing in Accra today Thursday and Friday for army chiefs of some West African states over sending troops to Niger to restore constitutional order.
By Laud Nartey|3News.com|
