Former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has criticized the government’s decision to accept West African nationals deported from the United States, describing the agreement underpinning the arrangement as “unconstitutional and unlawful.”
Addressing the media on behalf of the Minority in Parliament on Wednesday, 24 September 2025, Mr Jinapor raised concerns over Ghana’s role as a “receiving point” for deportees from non-ECOWAS countries, particularly the United States, without parliamentary scrutiny.
“The government and the Minister for Foreign Affairs must lay this agreement before Parliament for scrutiny and ratification, as required under Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution,” he said. “Until that is done, the agreement remains unconstitutional.”
According to Mr Jinapor, Article 75 clearly stipulates that any international agreement entered into by Ghana must be approved by Parliament. “Even if there were ambiguities, the Supreme Court has repeatedly made definitive pronouncements on this provision,” he noted.
He added that the Minority’s concern stems from the lack of transparency surrounding the agreement, stressing that Parliament must be allowed to examine its contents and determine whether it serves the national interest.
“We need to know what Ghana is getting out of this arrangement. Is it a good agreement? Is it a bad one? Can it be sent back to the Executive with recommendations for review? These are questions Parliament must answer,” Jinapor stated.
He warned that Ghana’s involvement could be perceived as aiding the controversial U.S. immigration policy, which has drawn criticism from the African Union and ECOWAS.
“All options are on the table,” he added. “We have been engaging in public advocacy, and we hope this will compel the government to change course and withdraw from the agreement until proper parliamentary approval is obtained.”
