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Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has defended the government’s decision not to seek Parliamentary ratification for its agreement with the United States of America regarding the reception of West African deportees.
According to him, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the US does not fall within the category of a Treaty, Agreement, or Convention as contemplated under Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution.
His clarification follows public concern, particularly from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), which has criticised the government for bypassing Parliament in what it described as a controversial arrangement.
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In a statement shared on social media on Friday, September 19, Mr Dafeamekpor explained that an MOU is a loose and non-binding instrument, which allows Ghana to withdraw at any point without incurring legal obligations.
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Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor
He further noted that Ghana did not pursue any financial gains from the arrangement. Expanding on this point, he wrote:
All West African nationals can travel from any part of the world to Ghana without a visa, just as all Ghanaians can travel from any part of the world to any West African country without a visa for a maximum stay of 90 days. This is in conformity with the ECOWAS Protocols that Ghana has committed to as a member of ECOWAS.
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He stressed that Ghana’s acceptance of West Africans is not a new practice but one rooted in ECOWAS treaty obligations. He added that the country reserves the right to thoroughly vet all deportees before admission, in compliance with international health and security protocols, including those of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The Minority Chief Whip also emphasised:
We (Government) have made it clear that NO deportee with a criminal record will be accepted into Ghana. This case therefore bears no semblance in legal character or form to GITMO 2. Nana B’s public threat to go to the Supreme Court on this matter should thus be disregarded as an empty one. It is a journey to nowhere.
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Meanwhile, the Minister for Foreign Affairs recently disclosed that Ghana is expected to receive a second batch of 40 deportees from the United States in the coming days.