Minority mounts pressure on government to disclose details of Gitmo deal

The Minority in Parliament has mounted pressure on government to disclose details of an agreement to shelter two former Guantanamo Bay detainees in Ghana.
“In diplomatic relations you’ll have verbal communication but at least when the United States approached us, they did not come to us verbally they must have issued a note verbale to our embassy there and that is how the process started. So there is a written agreement and we are demanding to see it,” Member of Parliament for Subin, Isaac Osei said.
Addressing a news conference on Tuesday at the Parliament House in Accra, he said
President Mahama breached the constitution by accepting the two former detainees.
“When power is exercised capriciously without due process, it is a usurpation of the people’s right. Our president is willing to bend over backwards to violate the immigration laws of Ghana by receiving these deportees,” he added.
The Minority is also questioning why a scheduled briefing on the development by Foreign Affairs Minister on Friday should be held in camera.
According to them they have raised five urgent questions in conformity with Standing Order 64 (1) of Parliament and although the speaker is yet to admit them, Ghanaians deserve to know what went into accepting the two detainees.
They therefore want the briefing held publicly so that Ghanaians will be in a better position to tell if government acted in their interest while accepting the two detainees, Joy News’ Elton Brobbey reports.
The Minority says President Mahama could be cited for impeachment for failing to get Parliament to ratify the agreement.
 Isaac Osei explained that “In 75(1), it says ‘the President may execute or cause to be executed treaties, agreements or conventions in the name of Ghana.’
“75(2), says ‘a treaty, agreement of convention executed by or under the authority of the President shall be subject to ratification by: a) an act of parliament or b) a resolution of parliament supported by votes of more than one half. It doesn’t give you any room.”
The former Guantanamo Bay detainees - Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih al-Dhuby, both Yemeni - were transferred to Ghana on January 7, 2016 after a deal was reached between the governments of Ghana and the United States of America.
The acceptance of the two caused a lot of panic among Ghanaians who believe the two pose a threat to the country's security.
Many Ghanaians therefore called for their immediate repatriation but government defended its decision saying it did due diligence and that the two pose no threat to Ghanaians.