The Minority in Parliament has taken issue with the government’s decision to send soldiers to Jamaica for post-hurricane reconstruction efforts and reportedly to Benin following a recent coup attempt, describing the actions as “completely misplaced and procedurally flawed.”
According to the Minority, the deployments—carried out by personnel from the 48th Engineering Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces—were undertaken without prior parliamentary approval. They argue this raises serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and the expenditure of public funds.
Addressing journalists in Parliament on Wednesday, December 17, the Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, said that while the Minority does not oppose Ghana’s longstanding practice of supporting friendly nations, the government failed to adhere to constitutional requirements for such missions.
Rev Fordjour noted that Parliament was caught off guard by reports of Ghanaian troops being dispatched to Benin and later to Jamaica on humanitarian and reconstruction grounds, without any formal briefing or request for approval.
“We woke up to the news of Ghana sending troops to Benin, and these undertakings ought to have come to the attention of Parliament for prior approval,” he said. “Today, we have also woken up to the news of the government sending military troops to Jamaica to assist on humanitarian and reconstruction efforts.”
He emphasized that Parliament should have been consulted to enable members to scrutinize the details of the deployments, including their duration, legal basis, and financial implications.
“We do not have any problem with the principle of assisting these countries,” he said. “However, the due process of consulting Parliament was not followed to allow us interrogate the modalities, the framework, the cost to the state, and how long these decisions will persist.”
Rev Fordjour further questioned why Parliament was engaged when the government sought approval to procure helicopters for the military but bypassed the House when it came to sending troops abroad, insisting that the same level of oversight must apply.
He demanded clarity on the number of soldiers deployed to Benin, the protocols guiding the operation, its expected duration, and the overall cost to the state.
“We need to understand which protocols this deployment is being undertaken under, how many troops are going, how long the operation will last, and how much it will cost the state,” he said.
Accusing the government of “misguided deployments,” Rev Fordjour warned that the Minority would not remain passive while taxpayers’ money is spent without due process or accountability.
The Minority has therefore called for immediate answers from the Minister for Defence and other relevant state institutions involved in authorizing the deployments.
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