A heated exchange erupted in Parliament as Minority and Majority members traded blame over the recent pirate attack that targeted fishermen along Ghana’s coast, during the debate on President John Mahama’s State of the Nation Address.

Former Deputy Defence Minister Kofi Amankwa-Manu told the House that the attack and abduction of fishermen in the Central Region had left fishing communities gripped by fear, blaming what he described as leadership failures.

Contributing to the debate, he argued that decisions taken by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) while in opposition, including rejecting a contract for offshore patrol vessels, had weakened the country’s maritime security capacity.

“Mr. Speaker, is it not worrisome that for the first time in our history pirates can come as close as within 30 nautical miles of our waters and abduct our compatriots?” he asked.

According to him, the rejection of the offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) agreement deprived the security services of critical equipment needed to patrol Ghana’s waters.

“These OPVs have long endurance, they stay at sea for long periods and have firepower,” he said, adding that it was the responsibility of leadership to anticipate and prepare for potential attacks.

Mr. Amankwa-Manu warned that the incident could have serious consequences for fishing communities, as fishermen may now venture out to sea in constant fear of further attacks.

“For fisherfolk who go to sea, they will now always be looking over their shoulders because they do not know when pirates may strike again,” he said.

However, Chairman of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, James Agalga, rejected the criticism, insisting that the swift response by the Ghana Navy and the Ghana Air Force demonstrated the country’s readiness to deal with maritime threats.

He told Parliament that security forces immediately launched a pursuit operation after the attack, forcing the pirates to retreat.

“Our navy acted in coordination with our air force. Fighter jets were in the sky, and ships were on our waters. The pirates had to retreat very quickly,” he said.

Mr. Agalga added that all 71 affected fishermen were successfully rescued without any loss of life.

“Not a single soul was lost. We should be full of commendation for our security forces,” he said, stressing that the government remains committed to equipping and retooling the security services.

The Builsa North MP also rejected claims that the NDC had opposed the acquisition of offshore patrol vessels, explaining that the agreement was withdrawn by the minister who originally laid it before Parliament to allow for further due diligence.

He said the current government intends to reintroduce the agreement and complete the procurement process.

“When we bring it back, it will go down in our records that it is this government, President Mahama’s government, that acquired the two offshore patrol vessels for our navy,” he stated.

Mr. Agalga also responded to concerns raised by the Minority regarding the killing of some Ghanaian traders in Burkina Faso.

According to him, Ghana’s security agencies cannot cross international borders to provide protection for citizens in another sovereign state.

“Burkina Faso is a country with territories well defined in international law. Ghana’s security apparatus cannot cross borders to provide security there,” he said, while extending condolences to the families of the victims.

He added that Ghana’s security agencies worked with their Burkinabe counterparts to evacuate the injured victims, some of whom are currently receiving treatment at the 37 Military Hospital.

Meanwhile, Minority spokesperson on the economy Kojo Oppong Nkrumah criticised the government’s economic claims, arguing that the reported decline in inflation is not reflected in the cost of living for ordinary Ghanaians.

He said the government appears overly focused on improving inflation figures rather than addressing the realities faced by businesses and households.

“What the people are measuring out there is the cost of living,” he said, arguing that the government’s monetary policies have reduced the amount of money in circulation and weakened demand in the market.

Mr. Nkrumah also questioned the government's claims that one million young people had gained employment within nine months.

“For our colleagues who are here, they themselves know that it is not true that one million youth have found jobs in nine months,” he said.