Here are the stories that made the news Tuesday:

1. Minority rejects private security detail at Parliament

The Minority in Parliament has called for a change in the security detail at the House after it alleged the current team has been infiltrated by members of pro-government vigilante groups. The opposition lawmakers say some members of the radical vigilante group, Delta Force have been recruited into the private security guards who are in charge of security at Parliament. Summing up the concerns of his colleagues, Bawku Central Member of Parliament (MP), Mahama Ayariga said Minority MPs are scared for their lives and would want the police to take over the security of the House.

2. NDC MPs in shock over US Embassy Gitmo 2 revelation

The Minority in Parliament has expressed shock over claims by the US Ambassador Robert Jackson that the John Mahama government took a unilateral decision to grant refugee status to two terror suspects currently being held in Ghana. Bawku Central Member of Parliament Mahama Ayariga insists the US Embassy was part of the decision every step of the way and wondered why the Ambassador will claim ignorance. In what is perhaps the first full disclosure, more than two years after the GITMO 2 scandal broke in January 2016, Ayariga said the government he was part of in 2016, decided to grant the two suspects refugee status so they could acquire a form of ID card fr the suspects.

3. Hacksaw blade smuggled into Kwabenya police cell

A daring plan to escape custody at the Kwabenya Police Station in the Greater Accra region was facilitated by a hacksaw blade hidden in a bread, details of police investigations have revealed. The hacksaw blade was given to an inmate, Rockson Edem Dzigbede, by his brother to try and cut the padlock. But all efforts failed.

4. Police officers on arrest mission beaten at Sawla

Police officers sent to arrest a suspect at Kporju near Sawla in the Northern Region have been attacked by a mob. Armed men in the company of the suspect reportedly attacked the officers, injuring one. The officers were dispatched to arrest one Guohin alleged to have stolen nine cattle belonging to a farmer, Torh Vuur at Kporju, in the Sawla/Tuna/Kalba District. The theft reportedly happened a month ago, Myjoyonline.com has learnt.

6. Births and Deaths Registry ordered to reverse anti-local names policy

Local Government Minister Hajia Alima Mahama has directed the Registrar of Births and Deaths to reverse the directive banning the registration of some Ghanaian names. The directive was contained in a 2009 standard operating procedure manual and has been in force since then. But many Ghanaians were enraged last week when the issue came up again following newspaper publications about the Registrar’s determination to ensure that names such as Nana, Ohemaa, Nii, Naa, are not registered.

7. NDC MP blames Foreign Affairs Minister for absence of exit clause in Gitmo 2 deal

Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey had the whole of 2017 to add an exit clause to the Gitmo 2 agreement, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye has stated. The Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo Constituency was commenting on why the erstwhile National Democratic Congress government did not negotiate certain salient clauses before accepting the two ex-Guantanamo Bay detainees. One of such salient clauses was an exit clause in the agreement. 

8. Gitmo 2 refugee status shocking - US Ambassador

United States Ambassador to Ghana says he was surprised to learn from the government of Ghana that the two former Guantanamo Bay detainees have been granted refugee status. Robert Jackson denies the US government was not consulted before the refugee status was accorded the two former terror suspects. He was speaking to journalists shortly after addressing students of the Wa campus of the University for Development Studies on Ghana-USA relationship and scholarship opportunities for students.