Former Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, has criticised President John Dramani Mahama for repeating past mistakes in handling international agreements, following the government’s decision to accept a group of West African deportees from the United States without parliamentary approval.

Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV on Thursday, September 25, 2025, Acheampong said the government’s approach mirrors the infamous ‘Gitmo 2’ controversy, where two Guantanamo Bay detainees were admitted into Ghana during Mahama’s first term without seeking Parliament’s ratification.

He argued that Ghana had failed to learn from history, stressing that proper procedures should have guided the latest agreement.

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“This shouldn’t have been a matter we revisit because we have gone through this before. If in times past we had a similar situation and people felt we didn’t execute the international relations adequately, I was hoping history would guide us, so we handle it more appropriately,” he stated.

Acheampong recalled that the Supreme Court later ordered the ‘Gitmo 2’ agreement to be brought before Parliament for approval, warning that a similar legal challenge could arise from the current deal.

“It is becoming concerning because it happened in my senior brother John’s first term, and we are experiencing it in the second term. When it goes on and on, it is as if we are not learning anything as a country,” he decried.

He also expressed support for the Minority in Parliament, who have raised constitutional objections to the deal and demanded its suspension.

“My colleagues in Parliament are saying let’s do things right, and I believe in summary that is what they are asking us to do, and I hope that we eat humble pie,” he said.

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The Minority caucus insists the agreement violates Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution, which requires that all treaties, agreements, or conventions signed by or under the authority of the President must be laid before Parliament for ratification.

MRA/VPO

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