Brouhaha over Ghana hosting two former detainees of Guantanamo Bay prison




NEWS COMMENTARY: Discusses the decision of the government of Ghana to host two former detainees of the Guantanamo Bay prison at the request of the US government


Two days ago, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hannah Tetteh, announced that Ghana has accepted to host some former detainees of the Guantanamo Bay Prison facility for terror suspects and detainees of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.  

Speaking to Radio Ghana, Madam Tetteh said Ghana accepted the request to host the former detainees as refugees on humanitarian grounds.  According to her they were vigorously vetted and have no terrorist related background and therefore pose no security threat to the country.  

She explained that the U.S. government will bear all cost for their reintegration while Ghana bears no liability.  

Some security experts have even said the former detainees especially the two Yemenis among them will not have the liberty to operate.  

One such expert was quoted as saying that the resume the former detainees come to the table with is quite scary but they have been neutralised.  In the U.S., when it came to the future of former detainees, the issue was discussed by the U.S. congress because of its magnitute.  

As to why such a sensitive issue was not brought before the Ghanaian Parliament is baffling.  If such an issue cannot be subjected to a national debate, at least our representatives in Parliament should have been given the opportunity to deliberate on it on our behalf. 

This is because we have all seen and heard the terrible things extremist terror has visited on countries around the world and as such the government owed the people of Ghana the courtesy of letting them know of its plans to accept the request to host the former detainees to by-pass all of us and bring the former detainees in before telling us could be seen as a betrayal of trust. 

It is not enough to assure us that the former detainees pose no threat to national security. 

When this is viewed against recent discovery of arms and video of extremist propaganda and training in the country and the arrests, Ghanaians need more than assurances. 

Why accept these people when the U.S from whose custody these former detainees came do not want them transferred to facilities of their mainland, for the Guantanamo Prison facility is in Cuba and not the U.S. 

As some other school of thought put it, it looks as if Ghana is not content with the impartation of second hand cars, engines, clothing and tiers but we are now importing second hand detainees. 

Or better still the advanced countries are no longer content with dumping products on us and are now dumping what can be termed toxic prisoners. 

One argument that also flies in the face of reason is that Ghana was chosen as host of the former detainees because of her human rights record. 

Which country champions human right more than the U.S. Which could impose sanctions on other countries for human rights issues. To some of us this hosting of former terror suspects issues has not been properly handled. 

The absence of broader consultations could make people perceive and harbor unnecessary suspicions. 

This is not to say Ghana does not have a security system and apparatus of repute. We do, but should our security agencies be burdened with the extra duty of policing former terror suspects? 

We have our own security challenges especially as we go elections later this year and our security agencies would have their hands full. 

We hope and pray that this decision of our government to host these former detainees was taken in good faith. 

However, it can also be said that the way government went about the issue without referring it to parliament, the representatives of the people is also not right. 

Just as loan agreements are sent to parliament for debate and endorsement so too must issues such as hosting the former terror suspects issue should have been discussed and approved or rejected in parliament. Let's do the right things. 

Long Live Ghana.!!!!!

By Teye Kitcher a Journalist with GBC


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