Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Nana Kwame Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, says the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government did not need the support of Minority MPs to proceed with the controversial Ghana-U.S. deportation agreement.
That, he said, was because the NDC has enough numbers in Parliament to move the matter forward without consulting or involving the Minority, for which reason it was questionable for the government to go ahead with the deal without parliamentary ratification.
“My point is simple. If the NDC brings this to Parliament, they have overwhelming numbers. They don’t need us. In fact, they don’t need us to work on this matter,” Asafo-Adjei said on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, September 20.
“They don’t need us—and don’t forget this same government has a history, because it was during their time that all these profound landmark rulings were made.”
His comments follow a wave of public backlash over the government’s handling of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States, under which Ghana has already received 14 deportees, including Nigerians and one Gambian.
While Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa insists the arrangement does not require immediate parliamentary ratification—citing legal precedent and constitutional provisions—Asafo-Adjei believes the government’s posture on the issue is problematic.
“The matter is becoming more intense because of the posturing of the Minister,” he said. “For you to tell us that you don’t need to go to Parliament because it is an MoU—that is where I disagree with you.”
Ablakwa previously clarified that the MoU is a non-binding understanding between two governments and, as such, falls under the executive’s authority. He noted that it has been reviewed by Cabinet and the Attorney General and contains safeguards to prevent any deportees who pose security risks from entering the country.
He also said the agreement will be sent to Parliament for ratification if it is later upgraded to a full treaty.
But Asafo-Adjei remains unconvinced, especially by the Minister’s justification that similar MoUs were inherited from previous administrations.
“For you to tell us that you came to meet several MoUs in your office so this one can be one of the MoUs you came to meet is problematic,” he argued.
The NPP MP stressed that the Minority’s position is not about frustrating the government but ensuring transparency and protecting democratic institutions.
“So one will ask: why is the Minority so worked out? Because it is not as if we can influence it or we want to distract or frustrate government. No—we are only doing it for posterity. We are doing it for the good people of this country.”
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