Minority berates gov’t over deployment of troops to Jamaica, calls it a misplaced priority

The Minority in Parliament has criticised the government following the deployment of soldiers to Jamaica for post-hurricane reconstruction works and allegedly to Benin following a recent coup attempt, describing the moves as completely misplaced and procedurally flawed.

According to the Minority, the deployment of troops, drawn from the 48th Engineering Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, was undertaken without prior parliamentary approval, which they say raises concerns about transparency, accountability, and the use of public funds.

Speaking to journalists in Parliament on Wednesday, December 17, the Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, said while the Minority does not oppose Ghana’s tradition of assisting friendly nations, the government failed to follow the constitutional processes required for such deployments.

Rev Fordjour said Parliament was taken by surprise by reports of Ghanaian troops being sent to Benin and, subsequently, 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 stressed that Parliament ought to have been consulted to allow members to interrogate the modalities of the deployments, including their duration, legal frameworks, and financial implications for the state.

“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.”

The Ranking Member questioned why Parliament was consulted when the government sought to procure helicopters for the military but bypassed the House when it came to deploying troops abroad, insisting that the same level of scrutiny must apply.

Rev Fordjour further demanded clarity on the number of troops deployed to Benin, the protocols under which the operation is being carried out, the expected duration of the mission, and the total 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.

He accused the government of engaging in what he described as misguided deployments, warning that the Minority would not sit back while taxpayers’ money is expended without due process or accountability.

The Minority has therefore demanded immediate answers from the Minister for Defence and all relevant state agencies involved in the decision to deploy the troops