Mr Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader in Parliament, on Wednesday, called on the government to submit the recent agreement between Ghana and the United States regarding the acceptance of deported persons for parliamentary approval.
At a Leaders’ Media Briefing at the Parliament House, Mr Afenyo-Markin said such agreements were constitutionally required to go through Parliament under Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution.
The Leaders’ Media Briefing is a periodic engagement between the Leadership of the House and the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) at the beginning of every Meeting of Parliament to outline the framework of the Meeting.
It also serves as a platform of interaction between the Leaders, the Media Relations Department of Parliament, and the PPC.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said, “Agreements of such magnitude should be subject to parliamentary scrutiny under Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution,” adding that “We will demand that this arrangement be brought before Parliament for ratification.”
The Minority Leader, also the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Efutu, warned that bypassing parliamentary approval on international agreements could set a dangerous precedent, undermining democratic accountability and Ghana’s sovereignty in global affairs.
He said Ghana’s foreign policy must never be conducted in secrecy, nor should the nation compromise her sovereignty for expediency.
“We urge the government to always place Ghana’s dignity first and ensure that any international agreements reflect our values and command the confidence of the Ghanaian people,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin noted that Ghana’s progress over the years had been built on visionary leadership and the resilience of its people and urged the government to uphold transparency and constitutionalism in all its dealings with international partners.
He said “Ghana’s story is one of triumphs achieved through visionary leadership and the indomitable spirit of our people.”
GNA
