Parliament’s Minority demands suspension of deportee arrangement with US
The Minority in Parliament has accused government of violating the Constitution by agreeing to make Ghana a receiving point for West African nationals deported from the United States.
At his September 10 media encounter, President John Dramani Mahama confirmed that 14 deportees including Nigerians and a Gambian had already been received under the arrangement. He defended the move, citing the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol.
But in a September 12 statement, the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel A. Jinapor, described the deal as a “grave constitutional breach,” warning that it bypassed Parliament’s approval as required under Article 75.
The Minority recalled the 2016 Guantanamo Bay case, where the Supreme Court declared a similar move unconstitutional. It cautioned that the deportee arrangement not only offends Ghana’s sovereignty but also risks damaging the country’s foreign policy record.
The caucus is demanding that the deal be suspended immediately until it is brought before Parliament for scrutiny and ratification.
