Ablakwa demands answers on GITMO2
North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has, in an open letter, demanded
to know the status of the two ex-detainees of Guantanamo Bay who have
been hosted by Ghana for the past three years.
Read below the MP’s letter to the Minister of National Security:
An Open Letter to the Honourable Minister Responsible for National Security
Hon. Albert Kan-Dapaah,
Minister for National Security,
Republic of Ghana.
24th January, 2019.
Dear Mr. Kan-Dapaah,
REQUEST FOR UPDATE ON THE TWO EX-DETAINEES
OF GUANTANAMO BAY AND CONTINUOUS BREACH OF THE SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE
AGENCIES ACT, 1996 (ACT 526)
Kindly consider my warm compliments duly paid.
Today, the 24th of January, 2019 marks
exactly one year since you joined your colleagues: the Honourable
Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the Interior and
Defence, ostensibly to brief Parliament on the Government of Ghana’s
position relating to the status of the two ex-detainees of Guantanamo
Bay, Mahmud Umar Muhammed Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salid Al-Dhuby,
following an expiration on 6th January, 2018, of the two year bi-lateral
cooperation agreement between the Government of Ghana led by former
President John Mahama and the Government of the United States of America
led by former President Barack Obama.
Honourable Minister, as you will recall,
your colleague Ministers and your good self, made submissions to
Parliament on that day to the effect that Government’s decision on the
matter in issue is inconclusive. The Official Report of Parliamentary
Debates on Wednesday 24th January, 2018 captures your remarks in this
regard in column 85 as follows – “Mr. Speaker, I would want to urge Hon
Members of the august House to consider the fact that this is a very
important and delicate matter, can we take away the politics and unite
to find an effective solution to it?”
In the same vein, the Foreign Minister told
the House as captured in column 59 – “Mr. Speaker, accordingly,
government is constrained to explore any other options at this time and
will await an in depth examination of the matter by the appropriate
agencies.”
Subsequently, a Deputy Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Mr. Charles Owiredu and the then-Information Minister, Dr.
Mustapha Hamid, are both on record to have told the media on the 25th
and the 29th of January, 2018, respectively that the Akufo-Addo
Administration is in talks with other countries to have the ex-detainees
relocated from Ghana.
Respectfully, it is my considered view that
after a full-year of patiently waiting on Government, it is imperative
that in this matter which is of enormous national interest, you provide
an update to the Ghanaian people as Good Governance principles of
transparency and accountability will demand.
It is my humble expectation that you will now provide the update requested with dispatch.
Honourable Minister, I should also bring to
your attention your continuous breach of Section 17 (2) of the Security
and Intelligence Agencies Act, 1996 (Act 526) which stipulates – “The
Minister assigned responsibility under subsection (1) of this section
shall in respect of each year submit a report to Parliament on the
Intelligence Agencies.”
Sir, you have not complied with this
provision since assuming the position of National Security Minister and
thereby undermining Parliament’s Constitutional mandate of oversight.
As you are aware, I have consistently drawn
your attention and brought to the awareness of Parliament through
several statements on the floor this violation of the law. I have over
the period consequently proceeded to file questions in Parliament
seeking to urge you to provide answers to the House on your blatant
violation of Act 526 without compunction especially under a President
who consistently touts his rule of law credentials.
Having had all my Parliamentary efforts to
get you to comply with the Securities and Intelligence Agencies Act,
1996 (Act526) ignored rather contemptuously, I hereby serve notice that
if the situation remains the same 20 days after the 29th of January,
2019, resumption of Parliament, I shall proceed to our most esteemed
courts to compel you to honour your obligations under Act 526.
I have come to this decision seeing that I
have virtually exhausted all parliamentary processes. Besides, the
current worsening insecurity situation which has attracted unprecedented
domestic and international concern in the aftermath of the
assassination of undercover journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale, numerous
cases of apparent contract killings, the circumstances of Nana Appiah
Mensah’s escape from the jurisdiction and the kidnapping of the Takoradi
ladies – all of these call for an urgent and unwavering commitment to
our constitutional and legal obligations which as you know better than
many of us are designed to guarantee our collective security.
Yours Sincerely,
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
MP, North Tongu
Ranking Member, Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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