The Minority in Parliament has summoned the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to appear before the House to explain the government’s decision to donate relief items valued at GH¢10 million to Jamaica and Cuba.
The assistance, aimed at supporting victims of a recent hurricane, reportedly includes rice, mattresses, gari mix, cocoa products, water storage tanks and other essential supplies. Part of the relief effort is also said to be directed towards conflict-affected Sudan.
Raising the issue on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, December 17, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the government must account for the decision, particularly at a time when Ghana’s own disaster response agencies are facing shortages.
He noted that the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament was not briefed on the donation and questioned the procurement process behind the relief items.
“The Foreign Affairs Committee of this House was not briefed in any way. All we hear is that some amount of relief is being given. We don’t know how these items were procured,” he said.
Afenyo-Markin added that the move was difficult to justify when the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has indicated it lacks adequate supplies to respond to domestic disasters, including recent flooding.
“In this country, we have serious disasters. With the recent flooding, people have been calling for relief, yet NADMO says it has no stock. So we need to understand,” he stressed.
The Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, also called on the Foreign Affairs Minister to brief Parliament on the deployment of Ghanaian troops to Benin following an attempted military takeover.
“He should prepare to brief us on Benin as well, so we know the number of troops deployed and the financial implications for the country,” he said.
The Minority insists that transparency and parliamentary oversight are essential in decisions involving foreign aid and security deployments, especially given the current economic constraints facing the country.
