A new controversy has emerged over the Ghana-US deportee agreement, with former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charles Wiredu, accusing President John Dramani Mahama of bypassing Parliament.
Speaking at Jubilee House on Wednesday, President Mahama disclosed that 14 deportees, including Nigerians and one Gambian, had already been received in Ghana.
He defended the move, explaining that Ghana had no objection to hosting citizens of other ECOWAS states, as the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement allows nationals to enter and reside in member countries for up to 90 days without a visa.
However, Wiredu, who also serves on Parliament’s Security and Intelligence Committee, insists that the decision lacks legal grounding. “I was a bit curious when I heard the President speak about this because apart from the fact that I once served as Deputy Foreign Minister, I am also a member of the Security and Intelligence Committee. I can state on authority that nothing of this nature has ever been brought before us,” he told Citi FM in an interview on Thursday, September 11.
Citing Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution, Wiredu argued that all international treaties or agreements signed by the President must be ratified by Parliament. He warned that ignoring this constitutional requirement risks undermining democratic accountability and due process.
