The Minority in Parliament has expressed its opposition to the government’s decision to deploy military personnel to border towns nationwide for the purpose of enforcing a ban on grain exports.
They argue that this action represents an unwarranted display of power and poses a risk to the livelihoods of local farmers and traders, particularly as there is no indication that the Ghana Immigration Service is incapable of managing the situation.
The Minority expresses concerns that the deployment may be motivated by political interests, with the intention of undermining voter turnout in areas where the opposition, NDC, holds significant support, especially in border communities.
“We will describe this as a carefully orchestrated strategy to intimidate voters,” the caucus said at a press conference addressed by the Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, James Agalga, in Parliament, Accra on Friday.
“Any attempt to deploy the military when there is no evidence to show that the Immigration and Customs services will be overwhelmed in the enforcement of the ban on the exportation of grain heightens our suspicions,
According to him, the cost of the deployment without stakeholder consultation, could surpass the value of grains the government seeks to protect.
He recalled how, “in the name of Covid” the government, prior to election 2020, deployed personnel of the Armed Forces to border communities denying entry to Ghanaian citizens on the other side of the border.
“Knowing the playbook of the NPP, we are convinced that the knee-jerk measures were primarily motivated by the opportunity as they see it for chop-chop during COVID-19, and using the food situation as a pretext to deploy the military in areas known as NDC strongholds to intimate and suppress voters ahead of the December 7 elections.Such is the political chicanery of the government we are dealing with,” MrAgalga stated.
The caucus, he said, envisaged reprisals from neighbouring countries as Ghana also imports various food products from them to augment what is produced here.
“In making the decision, did the government consider the large quantities of farm produce that come into the country from Burkina Faso, Togo, and Cote d’Ivoire and the possibility of reprisals? Would that not instead increase the price of food items in Ghana?” he asked.
On his part, the Member for Wa West and Deputy Ranking on the Defence and Interior Committee, Supt Rtd Peter LancheneToobu,said the government must learn to leave the military from its political gimmicks and focus on delivering on the mandate it’s been given.
“Leave the military out of your political games and engage stakeholders in a broad consultation, even the military are tired and not happy about the deployment,” he claimed.
The government on Monday, August 27, announcedthat the ban on the export of grains, including maize, rice, and soya bean as a result of the long dry spell in the northern part of the country.
BY JULIUS YAO PETESI
