The Minority in Parliament has condemned the government’s decision to deploy the military to enforce a ban on the export of grains, calling the move ‘uncalled-for’ and ‘suspicious.’
The Minority questioned the rationale behind using armed forces to stop grain export in border towns nationwide.
The government has recently announced a ban on grain exports following reports of drought-induced crop failures in the northern regions.
The Minority, however, argues the deployment of soldiers to the borders is unnecessary and raises suspicions about the government’s true intentions.
Ranking Member of the Defence and Interior Committee, James Agalga who addressed the media on the matter on Friday, August 30 said the deployment raises questions and suspicions.
He queried why the Ghana Immigration Service and Customs Service, who are empowered to manage and patrol borders, are not being used instead of the military.
“Any attempt to deploy the military when there is no evidence to show that the immigration and customs services will be overwhelmed heightens our suspicions,” he added.
Hon. Agalga recalled the heavy military presence in border regions, particularly in the Volta and Oti regions, in the run-up to the 2020 elections.
This, he said, was part of a strategy to intimidate voters in opposition strongholds under the guise of dealing with secessionist threats, a situation he claims could repeat itself ahead of the 2024 elections.
“The pretext for the massive deployment was the alleged secessionist threat posed by what has now been established as phantom groups. Interestingly, once the elections were over, the secessionist threat suddenly evaporated,” the Ranking member stated.
The Minority also raised suspicion on the involvement of Minister for Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong who vowed to ensure the National Democratic Congress (NDC) does not win the 2024 elections, in the deployment.
The Caucus expressed concern about the lack of consultation with neighboring countries before implementing the ban and cited complaints of Ghana’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso who revealed there had been no prior discussions with these countries, despite the potential impact on cross-border food trade.
“Did the government consider the large quantities of farm produce that come into the country from Burkina Faso, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire and the possibility of reprisals? Would that not instead increase the price of food items in Ghana,” he questioned.
Hon. Agalga called for broad stakeholder engagement and cautioned the government against using the military for political purposes.
A member of the Committee, Peter Lanchene Toobu expressed dismay over what he described as the misuse of a revered institution, questioning the rationale behind involving the military in non-combat duties.
According to the Wa West MP, the Ghana Armed Forces, which plays a crucial role in safeguarding the country’s democracy, should not be tasked with such duties, especially in an election year.
“For us to lower the standard of our military, the Ghana Armed Forces, a well-revered institution in our democratic experiment, reducing them to the level of going to our borders to prevent the exportation of grains, is a very unfortunate incident,” Toobu stated.
Toobu emphasized the importance of maintaining the military’s integrity, warning against any actions that might damage its reputation and lamented how the image of the military could be tarnished by involving them in roles that may not align with their primary duties.
MP for Talensi B.T. Baba, on the other hand, warned the move could jeopardize regional stability and violate protocols established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
He argued that Ghana’s membership in ECOWAS involves commitments to the free movement of goods and services, which makes the military deployment at the borders a ‘serious threat’ to neighboring countries.
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