The days of the Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Ablakwa Okudzeto in office have been chequered even before he hits his first anniversary at the helms.
The bumps he is encountering in office are not the kind of obstacles he was expecting…not in these early days.
His tenure at this sensitive department has been littered with multiple faux pas which are exposing his flanks for public queries.
His inability to field questions in relation to an obvious violation of a Supreme Court ruling that Parliamentary nod be sought before the reception of deportees from elsewhere until their final return to their home countries leaves much to be desired.
The ruling in respect of the two Yemenis deported to Ghana during the first tenure of John Mahama’s presidency and about which an interpretation was sought from the Supreme Court, refers.
All treaties, Memoranda of Understanding demand ratification by Parliament. Such decisions are not Cabinet affairs as interpreted by the Supreme Court when the matter came before it.
The Foreign Affairs Minister and the Attorney General should be pushed to account for the breach which has seen Ghana expecting 40 more deportees from the US in breach of the ruling.
It is laughable that the Foreign Affairs Minister claims the decision by the Ghana government to receive the deportees was borne out of humanitarian reasons and hinged upon a cabinet decision not Parliament.
Prof Vladimir Antwi-Danso’s position that the President could not have given the nod to the US for the transfer of the illegal immigrants to Ghana without a favour makes convincing reasoning.
This convincing point makes nonsense of the humanitarian gesture statement by the Foreign Affairs Minister. Now the chicken is coming home to roost.
The NDC government under President John Mahama loves receiving deportees from US jurisdictions a penchant which ignores the possible challenges these could pose for the country.
Ignoring the risk factor provides us with an undeniable premise to support Prof Antwi-Danso’s position…makes us wonder why the undisclosed favour outweighs the interests of the country.
A decision such as admitting deportees into the country is a mammoth one, fraught with risks, hence the ruling by the Supreme Court that it be taken by Parliament which comprises representatives of the citizens of Ghana. It was a sensible ruling because it is about the security of the country decision thereof left to the citizens’ deputies.
The floodgates are now open for more deportees to be received in the country. Are we becoming Africa’s Salvador which quickly agreed to receive deportees from the US? Of course for special favour.
Some of those already admitted into the country have challenged the circumstances of their stay. When humanitarian gestures turn into such disagreements we must reconsider our so-called Good Samaritan moves.
We definitely have not learnt from the GITMO experience.
