Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has moved to allay public concerns over Ghana’s memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States on deportations, insisting that the arrangement does not require parliamentary approval at this stage.

Speaking on the matter, Mr Ablakwa explained that the document is an MoU and not a binding treaty, placing it squarely within the executive’s mandate.

He stressed that established constitutional conventions permit such frameworks to proceed without immediate recourse to Parliament.

“As a nation that upholds the dignity and rights of all people, particularly those of African descent, Ghana’s actions are rooted in moral responsibility, our legal obligations under the 1992 Constitution and ECOWAS protocols, and our Pan-African values,” he said.

He further assured the public that robust security checks have been built into the agreement.

“Ghana independently vets the background of all persons earmarked for deportation by the US to ensure that no threats to our national security are admitted,” he added.

“The Mahama administration will never compromise the security and well-being of Ghanaians.”

Mr Ablakwa revealed that the understanding had already been reviewed by Cabinet and the Attorney General.

He emphasised that if the MoU is later transformed into a formal agreement, Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution would be followed without hesitation.

“I have inherited hundreds of MoUs from the previous administration which were not placed before Parliament,” he noted. “If this understanding matures into a full-blown agreement, we shall not hesitate to seek parliamentary ratification.”