The Damongo MP, Samuel A. Jinapor, has criticised government over what he describes as a lack of transparency and consistency in the conduct of Ghana’s foreign policy.
The former Lands Minister insists that Parliament must be fully briefed on key diplomatic decisions.
The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee made the remarks on the floor of the House following a briefing by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
He argued that the Executive is constitutionally required to keep Parliament informed and to seek parliamentary approval where necessary, especially on sensitive foreign policy matters.
“Government in the exercise of executive power must be within the framework of Parliament, particularly when the government acts in relation to foreign policy,” Mr Jinapor told the House.
He stressed that it should not take the Minority Leader’s intervention to compel the Foreign Affairs Minister to appear before Parliament to brief members on critical decisions.
“It should not take the intervention of the Minority Leader for the Minister to brief this House on such fundamental and important decisions of the government when they relate to foreign policy,” he said.
Mr Jinapor also criticised what he described as weak engagement between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Parliament, particularly the Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs.
“Mr Speaker, as Ranking Member for Foreign Affairs, I must put on record, and Hansard must capture, that the Minister for Foreign Affairs can do better in terms of parliamentary engagement,” he stated.
He reaffirmed that Parliament remains a key stakeholder in Ghana’s foreign relations and must be carried along in the conduct of diplomatic and security engagements.
According to him, effective foreign policy must be grounded in credibility, institutional accountability, and respect for democratic processes.
The Damongo lawmaker further raised concerns about the President’s recent decision to deploy Ghanaian troops to Benin and Jamaica without first briefing Parliament.
He argued that such actions undermine parliamentary oversight, particularly in matters involving regional security and military deployments.
“The Minister says His Excellency President Mahama conducted a ceremony this morning at the seat of the Presidency and saw Ghanaian troops off.
“The first body within the state of Ghana that should be briefed is the Parliament of Ghana, the representatives of the people,” he stressed.
Mr Jinapor also accused the government of double standards in its engagement with neighbouring countries.
He questioned what he described as contradictions in the government’s posture towards Burkina Faso and Benin.
According to him, while the government appears to engage more favourably with Burkina Faso’s military junta, it has condemned an attempted military takeover in Benin and deployed Ghanaian troops as part of an ECOWAS response.
“If a coup is bad in Benin, it must be bad in Burkina Faso, it must be bad in Niger,” he said, warning that inconsistency in foreign policy positions could weaken Ghana’s credibility on the international stage.
The comments add to growing calls for stronger parliamentary oversight and clearer guiding principles in Ghana’s foreign policy and regional security engagements.
About the Author
