The Minority Caucus in Parliament is demanding that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, appear before the House to clarify reports of a supposed agreement between Ghana and the United States to allow Ghanaian territory to be used for military operations against ISIS in northern Nigeria.
The call follows comments allegedly made by the minister during a panel discussion at Chatham House.
Addressing a press conference at Parliament House on Wednesday, the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, said the Minority was deeply concerned about the implications of the alleged remarks.
According to him, any suggestion that Ghana’s territory could be used as a base for foreign military operations raises serious national security concerns.
The Minority argued that such a disclosure could potentially expose Ghana and its citizens to terrorist threats.
They further maintained that under the Constitution, any agreement involving the use of Ghanaian territory for foreign military operations must first receive approval from Parliament.
Mr. Jinapor noted that during the eight-year administration of the New Patriotic Party government, no such arrangement was entered into with the United States to use Ghana as a base for military action against another West African country.
He therefore called on the government to disclose the legal framework governing the alleged agreement, stating that the Minority had already demanded clarification on the matter since December.
The caucus also urged the government to assure Ghanaians of the measures being put in place to safeguard the country’s security in light of the alleged disclosure.
