Minority Criticises Government for Deploying Soldiers to Jamaica and Benin

• The Minority in Parliament has criticised the government's decision to deploy soldiers to Jamaica and Benin without parliamentary approval
• Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, John Ntim Fordjour, called for an immediate explanation
• The Minority also raised concerns over the government's GH¢10m aid to Jamaica and Cuba

The Minority in Parliament has criticized the government for deploying soldiers to Jamaica and Benin without parliamentary approval.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, the Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, John Ntim Fordjour, demanded immediate explanation from the government.

Describing the development as "disturbing," Ntim Fordjour, who is the MP for Assin South, said the government ought to have engaged Parliament before deploying the troops to Benin and Jamaica.

"We don't have any problem with the principles of assistance to these countries we have mentioned. However, procedures that should have been followed and the due process of consulting this August House, this Parliament House, in such decisions for us to be able to interrogate, to ensure transparency in the modalities and framework, even the various costs that the site will incur, and how long the decisions taken would persist," he said.

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Without seeking parliamentary approval, he said, the government has denied Ghanaians the opportunity to probe the deployment through their MPs.

"These are questions Ghanaians could not get the opportunity to ask because they disregarded Parliament as an institution. We are here, and we are very much concerned because this is not a one-party state," he further stated.

"They cannot run this government as a one-party state. We have the executive, we have Parliament, and Parliament, as an institution with all the relevant committees that are involved, needs to be carried along," he added.

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Minority questions GH¢10m aid to Jamaica, Cuba

Meanwhile, the Minority has also summoned the Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to appear before the House to brief lawmakers on the government’s donation of relief items worth GH¢10 million to Jamaica and Cuba.

The relief package, donated to Jamaica and Cuba, was intended to assist victims of a recent hurricane.

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The items donated include bags of rice, mattresses, gari mix, cocoa products, storage tanks, and other essential supplies, with part of the support also allocated to war-torn Sudan.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, said the government must provide clear justifications for the donations.

"The Foreign Affairs Committee of this House was not in any way briefed. All we hear is that some amount of relief is being provided. We don’t know how these items were procured," Afenyo-Markin said.

"In this country, we have serious disasters, the recent flooding, for instance, where people have been calling for relief, but NADMO has said they don’t have stock. So, we need to understand," he said.

Ghana deploys soldiers to Jamaica

The Minority raised these concerns following Ghana's deployment of Army engineers to Jamaica on December 17, 2025.

YEN.com.gh reported that President Mahama had emphasised the importance of this humanitarian mission in strengthening ties between Ghana and Jamaica.

The US Embassy in Accra expressed its support, providing airlift assistance to ensure the success of the mission.

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Source: YEN.com.gh