The National Coordinator for the District Roads Improvement Programme (DRIP), Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has defended government’s decision to receive deportees from the United States, stressing that it was guided by Ghanaian values of hospitality rather than foreign pressure.
He was speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV on Thursday, September 25, 2025, amid growing public debate over the country’s acceptance of deported nationals from the US.
So far, 14 deportees have already arrived in Ghana, with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, indicating that about 40 more are expected.
The Minority in Parliament has called for the immediate suspension of the arrangement with the US, arguing that the government acted unlawfully by implementing it without parliamentary approval. According to them, this contravenes a Supreme Court ruling that requires all international agreements—including treaties, memoranda of understanding (MoUs), and diplomatic notes—to be ratified by Parliament before taking legal effect.
Responding to the criticism, Mr Vanderpuye said the government’s decision was not influenced by external economic pressure but by humanitarian considerations.
“A lot of our folks prefer to stay over there, even if it’s in the American prisons. They are displeased and angered against us for having received them. It is understandable, but we are also looking at the human factor. Would you allow your fellow human being to be dumped in Guantánamo Bay to be treated unjustly in an inhuman manner, or would you want to open your gates to them?” he asked.
Drawing from his cultural upbringing, he explained that the value of hospitality informed the approach.
“As a person and from a Ga descent, I have been brought up to receive people no matter the situation. Once someone knocks on your door, you warmly receive the person and get them some water to drink as custom demands. I think that is what has informed the government and the minister in handling this matter,” he said.
Mr Vanderpuye, however, emphasised the need for long-term solutions to reduce migration pressures.
“We must begin to look at how we can be self-reliant and be able to churn out the right policies that will make Ghana a much more peaceful nation, so that our people can live in peace rather than seeking greener pastures elsewhere,” he added.
US deportee deal shows executive’s disregard for other arms of govt – Minority
