Ghana’s Minority in Parliament is demanding that Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa appear before lawmakers to explain the government’s donation of relief items worth GHC10 million to Jamaica and Cuba.
The package, aimed at supporting victims of a recent hurricane, includes rice, mattresses, gari mix, cocoa products, storage tanks and other supplies. Part of the aid has also been allocated to Sudan, which continues to grapple with conflict.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin told Parliament on Wednesday that the government must justify the donations, particularly as the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) struggles to provide relief to Ghanaians affected by recent flooding.
“The Foreign Affairs Committee of this house was not in any way briefed. All we hear is that some amount of relief is being provided. We don’t know how these items were procured,” Afenyo-Markin said.
“In this country, we have serious disasters, the recent flooding, for instance, where people have been calling for relief, but NADMO has said they don’t have stock. So, we need to understand.”
Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh also called on Ablakwa to disclose details of Ghanaian troops deployed to Benin following an attempted military takeover.
“He should prepare for Benin too, so we know the number of troops that have been sent and the financial implications to the country,” Annoh-Dompreh said.
Background
President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday dispatched a specialized contingent of the Ghana Armed Forces to Jamaica to aid reconstruction efforts after Hurricane Melissa, which killed more than 40 people and caused an estimated $8.8 billion in damage. Calling the mission a “bridge of solidarity across the Atlantic,”
Mahama said the deployment of the 14 Engineer Brigade was in direct response to a request from Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
“After dispatching the first batch of humanitarian assistance, I spoke with the Prime Minister of Jamaica, who indicated that what they urgently need is help with rebuilding and shelter. That is why we are sending our engineering corps to support reconstruction while tents are dispatched by sea to provide temporary shelter,” Mahama said at a send‑off parade in Accra. He also thanked the United States for logistical support, adding, “May God bless the Ghana Armed Forces, bless Ghana–Jamaica friendship, and make our nation great and strong.”
Led by Colonel Emmanuel Asia, the regiment will rebuild essential structures, set up large‑scale tent cities for thousands of displaced Jamaicans, clear debris and restore access to hard‑to‑reach communities.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the Jamaica deployment is the fifth major humanitarian gesture under Mahama’s administration, following recent aid shipments to Palestine, Cuba and Sudan.
“His Excellency believes that our foreign policy should be defined, not by how much we can take from others, but by how much we share,” Ablakwa said.
