Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour
The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, John Ntim Fordjour, has called on the government to dispatch a high-level delegation to Burkina Faso following reports of the killing of seven Ghanaian traders in a terrorist attack.
He said a coordinated diplomatic and security response was necessary to establish the facts and protect Ghanaian citizens.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour argued that 72 hours after news of the incident emerged, the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs must go beyond the official statement issued by the Interior Minister and verify the situation on the ground.
“Our expectation is that they ought to pay a high-level visit, particularly between the Defence Minister in Ghana and Burkina Faso to ascertain the actual circumstances that led to the killing,” he said in an interview with TV3 on Tuesday, February 17.
His comments follow the deaths of seven Ghanaian tomato traders who were reportedly attacked by terrorists in Titao, a town in northern Burkina Faso, on February 14, 2026.
The victims were travelling in a truck when the attack occurred.
According to the Interior Minister, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, ten men, including the driver, and eight women were on board the vehicle.
Seven of the men were killed, while three sustained serious injuries. Some of the women were also affected but did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
The Assin South MP insisted that the Minority expects the Defence, Foreign Affairs and National Security Ministers to urgently brief Parliament on the steps being taken to address the situation.
“So, today, this afternoon, the Minority, it is our urgent expectation that the joint Ministers, Minister responsible for Defence, the Foreign Affairs Minister and the Minister responsible for National Security should appear in the House as a matter of urgency to brief the House. We have a lot of questions to ask them at plenary and in the Chamber for them to be able to assure Ghanaians what steps and measures they are taking,” he stated.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour described the development as a “major Defence leadership failure,” raising concerns about the absence of a substantive Defence Minister over the past seven months.
He argued that the Acting Minister’s concurrent responsibilities in cocoa financing could limit the level of coordination required for effective intelligence collaboration with Burkina Faso, stressing that constitutional provisions anticipate the appointment of a substantive Defence Minister to ensure focused leadership in matters of national security.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com
