Former Minister for Defence and Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul, has expressed serious concerns over disclosure by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, suggesting that Ghana allowed the United States to launch a military strike against ISIS in northern Nigeria from Ghanaian territory.
Mr. Nitiwul joined the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, in demanding answers from the government following the minister’s remarks during a panel discussion at Chatham House in London.
Speaking to the media in Parliament, the former Defence Minister said that during the eight-year administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Ghana never entered into any agreement allowing its territory to be used as a base for military strikes in other countries.
Also read: Ghana is experiencing a ‘national resurrection’: Ayariga waxes lyrical on Mahama’s SONA
According to him, any such arrangement would have had serious constitutional and national security implications and would have required scrutiny.
He indicated that the Minority is therefore seeking clarity on the circumstances under which such a decision could have been taken.
The Minority Caucus is calling on the Foreign Affairs Minister to appear before Parliament to provide a full briefing on the matter and explain the legal framework governing the alleged cooperation with the United States.
Mr. Nitiwul stressed that Parliament must be properly informed if Ghana’s territory was indeed used to support military action in another country.
The Minority believes transparency is necessary to assure Ghanaians that the country’s national security has not been compromised.
The former Defence Minister also warned that any involvement in military operations against terrorist groups could have potential consequences for Ghana’s security.
He urged the government to clearly outline measures in place to protect the country from any possible retaliation by extremist groups.
The Minority insists that the government must provide full details to Parliament and the Ghanaian public to prevent uncertainty over the country’s role in international military operations.