The Minority in Parliament has demanded that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, appear before the House to explain the government’s decision to donate relief items valued at GH₵10 million to Jamaica and Cuba.
The donation, intended to support victims of a recent hurricane, includes bags of rice, mattresses, gari mix, cocoa products, storage tanks and other essential items. Part of the relief support has also been earmarked for war-torn Sudan.
Raising the issue on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, December 17, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin questioned the basis for the donation, particularly at a time when the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) is reportedly facing shortages of relief items for victims of disasters within Ghana.
He noted that the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament had not been briefed on the initiative and called for clarity on how the items were procured and the processes involved.
“In this country, we have serious disasters, including recent flooding, where people are crying for relief, yet NADMO says it has no stock. So we need to understand how this decision was taken,” Afenyo-Markin said.
Adding to the call, Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh urged the Foreign Affairs Minister to also brief Parliament on the deployment of Ghanaian troops to Benin following an attempted military takeover, including the number of personnel involved and the financial cost to the state.
He stressed the need for transparency on both the relief donations and the external security engagements undertaken by the government.
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