Gitmo Detainees Transfer: Reveal Terms Of Agreement With US - Bosomtwe MP

Simon Osei-Mensah, Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe insists that President John Dramani Mahama should reveal the agreement terms between Ghana and the United States in the Gitmo detainees transfer.

According to Hon. Osei-Mensah, Ghanaians deserve to know the contents of the treaty that necessitated the admission of the detainees into the country.

He recounted some terrorist activities that have caused misery to several thousands of people across the African continent and the world at large, adding that terrorism does not pity humanity.

Hon. Osei-Mensah's calls come on the heels of a request made by four Republican Senators that the US government should cut foreign aid to Ghana by $10million should the detainees escape or return to terrorism.

The Senators stated emphatically in a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee that the Committee should "include in the fiscal year 2017 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill, language that would reduce assistance to Ghana by $10million per detainee in the event either of these detainees escapes from confinement or re-engages in terrorism while in Ghana’s custody. Such language would incentivize Ghanaian authorities to allocate appropriate resources to closely and securely monitor the activities of these terrorist detainees.”

Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah wondered why President John Mahama and the government would accept the detainees without making Ghanaians privy to the deal with the US government.

“It’s impossible for President Mahama to tell Ghanaians that there’s no agreement between Ghana government and the US government in relation to the Guantanamo Bay. What will say in the offing regarding this issue? How can we know the conditions under which we’re keeping them? How can we know our responsibilities? How do we determine our rights? What are the responsibilities and rights of the Americans? What are the responsibilities and rights of the two detainees? At what point do we know they’ve faulted or not? How can we know that the US have faulted or Ghanaians have faulted or not? Who is paying for their accommodation, food and the cars they will use? Who’s paying for the security intelligence?”

He was also worried that the Government of Ghana would accept the detainees despite the country's security lapses.