NPP must apologise to Ghanaians – Okudzeto-Ablakwa

Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu has called on the government to apologise to Ghanaians for the sudden about-turn on the two Guantanamo Bay detainees.

He said the New Patriotic Party (NPP had promised Ghanaians to return the two detainees if they won power because former President John Mahama had made the nation unsafe by accepting to host the two persons in the country.
   
Mr Okudzeto-Ablakwa made the call when he spoke to the media in Parliament on matters relating to the two Guantanamo detainees.
   
Madam Shirley Ayorkor-Botway, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration was summoned to the House to answer questions asked by Mr Okudzeto-Ablakwa on the current position of the government on Ghana’s hosting of the two Guantanamo detainees in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision.
  
The Supreme Court decision on June 22, is that the former Head of State should have sent the agreement he had with the United States government on the two Guantanamo detainees, Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby to Parliament for ratification pursuant to Article 75.     
  
Mr Okudzeto-Ablakwa also stated that the Supreme Court ruling offered the NPP government a wonderful opportunity to return the two Guantanamo detainees for it to be consistent with the position they took when they were in opposition.
   
He said when Mr Mahama administration decided to receive the two Guantanamo detainees in agreement with the United States, he was accused by the NPP of putting the country up for all kinds attacks.
   
Mr Okudzeto-Ablakwa noted that President Akufo-Addo in opposition issued a statement that he was not consulted on the matter.
   
He said at the time, President Akufo-Addo distance himself from this whole arrangement.
  
He said on January 13, 2016, Nana Akomeah, Director of Communication of the NPP issued a statement that the presence of the two Guantanamo detainees was causing heighten tension and hysteria in the country.

Source: GNA