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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Diversionary tactics to divert attention from the beautiful thing that happened at Dagbon Shame
They are in my house at kasoa Amanfrom kwasiaaaaaa ba!!
They are in John Ford Mahama's house in Bole Bamboi.....
***barred word*** ara kwa! When the government to which this c10wn of a t-w-a+ Ablakwa belongs to, brought these terrorist to Ghana secretly with next to no reward or accountability to Ghanaians, did they embark on such gran standing? Let's be serious and ignore this attention seeking nonentity. Bin Atef and Al Dhuby are in Ghana, married and settled and oh ! card bearing NDC members who will be running for parliamentary elections.
At a time there is positive news all over - enskinment of Yaa Naa, opening of Obuasi mines etc., you cannot comment on that. You have to unearth a dead issue because you think it will put government in a bad light. Where have you been all this while regarding this issue? Why now? I urge you to continue combing through your archives for such dead issues, because more and more positive issues will be clocked by Nana Addo and his government, and you will have nothing to write about. Irrit@nt!
Once no country has agreed to accept them, they will continue to be in Ghana. after all the NDC government made them Ghanaians. Do we ask for the where about of all Ghanaians? You even contracted marriage for them. Their children are now Ghanaians because they were born here where do you expect the parent to Ghana.THEY ARE GOING NO WHERE .IBI HERE DEY GO STAY.
You brought them here and gave them Ghanaian citizenship and you turn around and ask of their whereabout? Have they been reported missing or kidnapped? Your hypocrisy and mischief knows no bounds. Do you even know the whereabouts of your constituents?
For the first time i think i side with Baby with sharp teeth. Two wrongs don't make a right the government should let us know the way forward with the 2 detainee's
Its clear and factual to move the cotton before crossing the domestic security intelligence fire. Also the minister must NOT WAIT OR ON ANY UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT TO DECLINE SUCH IMPORTANT ISSUE RAISE BY ABLAKWA ,, THIS HOW I WISH ALL POLITICIAN TO BEHAVE TALKING ABOUT WHAT BENEFIT EVERY IMPORTANT GHANAIAN,, BEWARE GHANA ON THIS ISSUE MR. KAN DAPAAH PLEASE IF NOT I WILL ORGANIZE DEMO ON THIS ISSUE TO MAKE SURE THIS 2 IS OUT OFF THE COUNTRY. THANK YOU MY BROTHER OKUDJATO
WHOM ARE YOU ASKING ? MASSA GROW UP