It is turning out that the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government was paid over $300,000 for accepting to host the two alleged hardcore terrorists from Yemen....
....who were deported from the United States Naval Base of Guantanamo Bay on the orders of former US President Barack Obama and his government.
The amount was meant for the upkeep of the two alleged Al-Qaeda terrorists: Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby as they stay in Ghana.
However, it has now been made clear that the amount paid was to cover the two for only two years and that any subsequent debt incurred over their upkeep (after the two years) is going to be borne by the Ghanaian taxpayer.
Then President John Mahama had said that the two Al-Qaeda fighters were brought into the country on ‘compassionate grounds.’ But the lack of transparency in the whole deal has triggered another round of heated political debate over the NDC’s handling of the matter at the time.
Majority Leader in Parliament and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, did not hide his irritation on radio Thursday when he said that the Mahama-led administration shortchanged Ghanaians in the whole deal.
He said that even before the deal was expired for any possible re-negotiation, the NDC government had issued Ghanaian passports to the alleged terrorists and were in the process of integrating them into the Ghanaian society.
The NDC government, he said, even went to the extent of trying to change the names of the two alleged Al-Qaeda terrorists and that records were there to prove that attempt.
According to him, the name change was even done way ahead of the expiry of the two-year agreement that President Mahama and his minister signed with the then Obama administration.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also said Mahama and his administration surreptitiously granted the two – who according to US authorities, were Osama Bin Laden’s foot soldiers – refugee status before the expiry of the two-year agreement.
He said one of them is married to a Moroccan but has vowed never to go to the Maghreb country for reasons best know to him.
The majority leader also said that then Foreign Minister, Hannah Tetteh, had created the impression in parliament that the so-called deal was subject to renewal after two years, which elapsed about two weeks ago, although the same Mahama government had secretly undermined the two-year agreement and granted them refugee status.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the NDC government, in altering the agreement, did not even have the courtesy to include it in the handing over notes to the NPP government during the transition early 2017.
The NPP Acting General Secretary, John Boadu, said on Asempa Fm that the Akufo-Addo government was able to successfully negotiate with Morocco to repatriate the alleged terrorists to that country, but when the documents were reviewed, it was detected that the Mahama administration had granted them refugee status without informing parliament.
Interestingly, the opposition NDC MPs in parliament, whose government took the unpopular decisions, are the same guys daring the current government to deport the two terrorists.
The minority chastised Akufo-Addo’s government over its failure to bring the agreement before parliament for ratification before allowing the terrorists to stay in the country.
NDC MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who appeared to have turned himself into a spokesperson for the alleged terrorists of late, said recently that the two men were comporting themselves and had not given the security agencies any cause to complain.
He claimed on Peace FM Thursday, “There was no specific exit agreement…..there is nothing wrong; we have always known that. That is why within the two-year period discussions ought to continue.”
The MP admitted that the Mahama administration decided to give a “refugee status” instead of a “permanent residence or a visa” because the refugee board can “revoke it” at any time.
“Our motivation was the national interest…it came with support for our national security in the fight against terrorism,” he claimed.
“There was the understanding that within the two-year period, there will be discussions between USA, Ghana and the two detainees to find out if they want to go back to their countries or remain in Ghana. If they decide to stay in the country, they can find employment if they are properly integrated; and I don’t find anything wrong with that, especially as government has confirmed that they have been of good behaviour,” he said.
According to him, “If we don’t feel comfortable with them, we can revoke the refugee status; tell them that we are deporting them; if we are no longer a compassionate country or give them an option of a third country like Morocco.”
He added, “We all have to be responsible as far as this issue is concerned and so I would have wished that the ruling government would not have politicized this issue; we don’t need politics to be.”
Source: Daily Guide
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So Ghana as a sovereign state with executive powers to the President can't cancel this borgos deal? And you watching this guys to stay in this country? NPP government be wise and take necessary decisions by sending these guys out else if any uprising through these guys, you will be blamed not Mahama.
Daily lies should try another lie. It seems this one is not working. hahahahahahahahahahaha
J MAHAMA IS GREEDY SHITHOLE, HE ACT AS THE WHOLE GHANA IS HIS PROPERTY, ACCEPTING THESE BIN LINDENAL Qaeda terrorists IS CONPASSIIONETE FOR J MAHAMA, OKUDJETO ABRAKWAH AND THEIR NDC'S. HAVE YOU SEEN THE WAY THESE ARABS COUNTRIES LIKE LYBIA, SAUDI TREATING SOME GHANAIANS IN THEIR COUNTRY. SO WHY THEY DONT DO THE SAME AS NDC DID, YOU SEE NDC'S DONT THINK ABOUT GHANAIANS, ACCEPTING THIS MONEY AND BRING THESE PEOPLE TO COME TO GHANA BECAUSE MONEY. ARE WE SAFE AS GHANAIANS. I DONT THINK ALL THESE NDC AND THEIR MEMBERS ARE PROPER GHANAIANS. THEY WILL STAY IN OPPOSITION UNTIL THY KINGDOM COME.
Where is BAWUMIA the all-knowing? Looks like the GITMO guys have done something to him. Let us know. USSELESS NPP.
Where are the Dams you promised us? Where are the FACTORIES you promised us? Instead of focusing on your promises and the fact that YOUR Talkative VICE President is ill and can't be healed in Ghana, you are talking about two unimportant guests in this country. SHIITHOLE NPP
Yet the same Mahama wants to lead the NDC again to contest the presidency in Ghana? We'll be fantastically 1diotic to vote for such a character again, but I pray the NDC brings him to the 2020 polls. His baggage will be very easy to handle.
The greedy and incompetent John Ford Mahama is keeping the money in his house in Dubai .....
OKUDJETO ABRAKWAH SHOULD HELP GHANAIANS TO FIND OUT WHETHER THE $3000,000.00 RECEIVED FROM USA GOVERNMENT TO MAHAMA NDC GOVERNMENT WAS AN EXTORTION OR A LEVY. ABRAKWA CAN SEEK THE HELP OF MUNTAKA TO MAKE A CASE FOR PROPER INQUIRY INTO THAT COLLECTION OF THAT MONEY.
All these ndc trolls have no conscience & love for your country . the fact that then man is a northerner of your choice for president does not mean that when he is raping your country of its wealth you still support him. think of the ghana you will leave for your children and the development of this nation of ours. Mahama is very wicked and in due time you will realise the magnitude of the corruption he has perpetrated together with his team. What you fail to realise is its his immediate family who will enjoy this wealth. the question is where do you stand , think of your offspring .
WANING::!!!Every refugee receives passport given by United Nations. Never on this earth refugee receive the passport of that country except Ghana. Do our parlimantarians know law regarding refugees? Even refugee have to stay a while at least 5 years before he/she can apply for that country's nationality. If accepted then he/she can apply for travel documents such as passport. Therefore the whole thing concern these Guantanamo 2 is wrong and fault. They have to apply their refugee status from Ministry of Interior and if granted then 5 years later as for citizenship. It will be totally wrong if the government fail to follow this refugee or international law. Ghanaians are watching oo. We live in Europe and this is what we go through or the process we follow.How can Ghana be so loose and cheap because of few money. Look what happened to our fellow brothers in Libya and Arab countries like Quatar etc.