The Minority in Parliament has demanded the immediate suspension of what it describes as the unconstitutional implementation of the Ghana–US deportation agreement.
Speaking to journalists in Accra on Wednesday, September 24, the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, stressed that the deal has not gone through the necessary legislative process.
“We therefore reiterate our call on the Government to suspend, with immediate effect, the unconstitutional implementation of this agreement until Parliament has duly exercised its constitutional mandate to ratify same,” he declared.
He continued, “We urge Government to provide full clarity on the processes, safeguards, and other broader implications associated with receiving these deportees, including the measures, if any, that have been taken to protect Ghana’s security interests.”
The caucus insists that by sidestepping Parliament, the Executive has undermined constitutional requirements and exposed Ghana to unnecessary risks.
The Minority’s concerns come amid developments in the High Court, where a case filed on behalf of eleven West African nationals was struck out after it emerged they had already been deported.
The applicants—four Nigerians, three Togolese, two Malians, one Gambian, and one Liberian—had sought an injunction to stop their repatriation and demanded a writ of habeas corpus to compel the state to produce them.
When the case was called on Tuesday, September 23, presiding judge Priscilla Ofori highlighted its wider implications.
“I have perused the necessary order and considering the fact that the case is of national and international interest I am of the opinion that it would be in the interest of justice for the two motions brought ex parte to be brought on notice to the respondent for consideration,” she said.
However, the lead counsel, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, informed the court that events had overtaken the applications.
“We had before the court two applications, one seeking a writ of habeas corpus and the second for an interim injunction preventing the repatriation of the applicants in the substantive human rights action.
“Unfortunately, when we appeared on Thursday, last week, the court adjourned the matter to this morning and declined our prayer to grant an order to prevent removal in the interim,” he told the court.
