Gitmo 2 Saga: NPP knew about their refugee status - Koku Anyidoho

Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho says Ghanaians, [mainly the then NPP in opposition] were too quick to pick apart former President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to accommodate two Guantanamo Bay ex-detainees in Ghana.

According to him, if Ghanaians had exercised a bit patient, they would have gotten the genuine gist of the two former detainees' stay in Ghana.

“When you are resettling people, they must have a status. So these people [the detainees] were coming to a resettlement program in Ghana so certainly, they have to enter the country on some status and the status is that, they must enter as refugees. Simple and short,” he said.

The NPP government is left with ‘no option’ than to keep the two detainees in Ghana after weeks of back and forth deliberations about their future in Ghana.

Whiles in opposition, some key members within the NPP were unhappy the then Mahama-led government accepted to provide accommodation for the ‘terrorists’ – the NPP considered to ‘send them back’ should they win power.

The NPP [now government in power] has announced that the two former Guantanamo Bay detainees in Ghana will continue to stay in the country although the two-year agreement with the US government has expired.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, who made this known in Parliament on Wednesday, said the two have been given refugee status and are therefore the responsibility of the Ghana government.

The move, however, seems to have enraged some majority MPs who blame the previous Mahama-led administration for their continued stay.

Defense Minister contributing to discussions on the floor of the House accused the previous government of granting the ex-Gitmo 2 refugee status which makes it difficult for government to send them out of the country.

But Koku Anyidoho on NEAT FM’s morning show ‘Ghana Montie’ said, the NPP together with some clergies ‘planted sticks’ in their own ears so that they will not pay attention to details of the agreement with the detainees.

“President Mahama mentioned compassionate grounds for accepting the detainees but some so-called men of God said the president should apply compassion with common sense. People were not just ready to listen to President Mahama; they were not ready to listen to the NDC,” he said.

Adding that, “Mahama told them the story but they were not ready to listen. The NPP knew about this refugee status. They are now exposing their ignorance but we will not pardon them for that. The NPP should apologize to the country.”