The Minority in Parliament is demanding an urgent briefing from the government on the legal basis under which Ghana allegedly collaborated with the United States to carry out airstrikes against terrorists in Nigeria.
The call follows remarks reportedly made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, during a discussion at Chatham House, where he indicated that Ghana had cooperated with the United States in an anti-terror operation.
Addressing a press conference in Parliament on Wednesday, March 11, the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, said the Minority was concerned about the implications of such a collaboration.
He argued that any arrangement involving Ghana’s participation in a military operation outside its borders should have first received parliamentary approval.
“What is the framework within which the Ghanaian government collaborated with the United States of America?” he asked.
Mr. Jinapor said the Minority had been informed that during the eight years of the previous administration under Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, no agreement was entered into that allowed Ghana to be used as a base for launching military attacks against another country.
“So at what stage and through what legal mechanism did our government collaborate and agree with the government of the United States to unleash military action and airstrikes against a terrorist organisation in a foreign country, Nigeria?” he questioned.
He further stressed that under the Constitution, any such agreement would require parliamentary approval.
“If there was any such agreement, why has the government not tabled it before Parliament for ratification or otherwise?” he asked.
Mr. Jinapor also raised concerns about the potential national security implications for Ghana.
“Does Ghana become a target of ISIS or other terrorist organisations? What measures have been put in place to ensure that our citizens are protected and our national security is safeguarded?” he queried.
Supporting the call for clarification, former Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul said Ghana currently has no known security arrangement with the United States that permits the use of Ghanaian territory to launch military attacks against another country.
He explained that Ghana and the United States have previously signed several defence cooperation agreements in 1998, 2002, 2015 and 2018, but none allowed Ghana’s territory to be used as a launch point for military strikes.
“In all these agreements, at no point was the United States or any other country allowed to use the territory of Ghana as a launch pad to attack any individual, nation, group of persons or organisation,” he said.
Mr. Nitiwul added that even the deployment of armed military aircraft in Ghana requires explicit permission from the government.
While emphasising the need for Ghana to support international efforts to combat terrorism, he insisted that any collaboration must strictly comply with the country’s laws and constitutional procedures.
He therefore urged the Foreign Affairs Minister to brief Parliament and the Ghanaian public on the matter.
“We all want to help fight terrorism, but no government should allow a foreign country to use our territory to attack another country without a formal agreement and the necessary approvals,” he said.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com