The Minority Caucus in Parliament has criticised the government over the deployment of Ghanaian troops to Jamaica and Benin, describing the move as a disregard for the oversight responsibilities of the legislature.
According to the Member of Parliament for Assin South and Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, Reverend Ntim Fordjour, Parliament was neither briefed nor consulted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of the Interior prior to the deployment, as required by established procedure.
He has therefore called on the two sector ministers to appear before the House to brief members on the rationale, scope, and modalities of the military deployment, in the interest of transparency and accountability.
Rev. Fordjour made the call at a press conference in Parliament yesterday, following the deployment of troops to Jamaica to assist with reconstruction efforts after widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa.
“We do not have any problem with the principle of assisting friendly countries,” he said. However, the procedures that ought to have been followed were ignored. Due process requires that this House be consulted so we can interrogate the decision and ensure transparency in the frameworks and modalities guiding such deployments,” he added.
The Ranking Member also took issue with the recent joint security Show of Force exercise conducted by the security agencies as part of preparations for the festive season, describing it as a “misplaced priority.”
According to him, security personnel would have been better deployed to known flashpoints, including illegal mining (galamsey) areas and other security hotspots, rather than the streets of Accra.
“We saw troops deployed from across the security agencies parading the streets of Accra in what was described as a Show of Force,” Rev. Fordjour said. “What force are they seeking to show in Accra? Is Accra a flashpoint?”
“If government truly wants to demonstrate force, it should be in areas where security threats are most acute. The exercise was misplaced, inappropriate, and carried out without consulting the Defence and Interior Committee,” he added.
The Minority insists that adherence to parliamentary oversight is essential to safeguarding democratic accountability, particularly in matters relating to national security and foreign military engagements.
By Benjamin Arcton Tettey
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