Afenyo-Markin Urges Caution on International Charity Amid Ghana's Domestic Challenges
Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has questioned the government’s decision to deploy troops and ship relief items to Jamaica for post-hurricane reconstruction, indicating that Ghana’s own ongoing challenges should warrant greater parliamentary oversight.
Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, December 17, Mr. Afenyo-Markin expressed concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the relief efforts and the prioritization of resources, especially considering recent disasters within Ghana.
The government recently dispatched personnel from the 48th Engineering Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces to assist with rebuilding efforts in Jamaica following the devastating hurricane. However, the Minority Leader stated that Parliament was not sufficiently informed about the move.
“All we hear is that some amount of relief is being provided. We do not know how these items were procured, the processes involved, or which agency is donating these items to central government,” he said.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin drew attention to the recent flooding across Ghana, highlighting the difficulties faced by affected communities in accessing relief supplies. This, he argued, casts doubt on the government’s capacity and priorities.
“In this country, we have serious disasters. After the recent flooding, people have been calling for relief, and we are told there is no stock. When you do not have enough to feed your own at home, doing international charity will require a curious concern,” the Minority Leader stated.
Acknowledging Ghana’s commitment to international relations, Mr. Afenyo-Markin emphasized the need for Parliament to be fully briefed on the scale, cost, and rationale behind such international interventions.
“It is important that we are briefed on the extent to which this is being done,” he added.
He also criticized the perceived exclusion of Parliament and its relevant committees from the decision-making process, specifically regarding the shipment of relief items. He revealed that the Defence and Interior Committee was not consulted prior to the Military High Command’s inspection of the goods for shipment.
“Yesterday, we read in the news that some relief items were being shipped out, and that the Military High Command had gone to inspect them before shipment. I have checked with my colleague, the Ranking Member on Defence and Interior, and the committee has not been involved,” he said.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin maintained that decisions of this magnitude require parliamentary endorsement, and that lawmakers should not rely on media reports to learn about significant policy actions.
“A major policy decision like this must receive at least the blessings of Parliament. It cannot be that Members of Parliament would be reading this in the news,” he asserted.
He concluded by warning that a lack of engagement with Parliament on such matters undermines accountability, questioning where else these decisions would be scrutinized.
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