Minority threatens further action if Foreign Affairs Minister fails to answer RTI questions

By: Eugene Dogbatse Atsu

The Minority in Parliament has warned of further action if the Foreign Affairs Minister fails to answer Right to Information questions on Ghana’s evacuation exercise.

Speaking at a press briefing, Nana Asafo Adjei Ayeh, Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said the minister must provide answers through the RTI process and not rely on public statements or social media posts to address concerns raised by lawmakers.

The caucus said it remains committed to ensuring accountability and transparency regarding decisions taken during the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.

“We maintain our position and our ground and ensure that the minister responds to the RTI question. He cannot evade the RTI or pretend to put this information out assuming that he should answer the RTI questions,” a member of the caucus said.

The Minority also dismissed suggestions that Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee had been fully briefed on the matter. A deputy ranking member said he was unaware of any formal discussions on the evacuation despite attending committee meetings regularly.

“You can get the committee reports since the start of the Ninth Parliament. If there have been any discussions on this evacuation issue, I am not aware. I have been present at every committee meeting,” he stated.

According to the caucus, lawmakers often learn about developments through media reports and social media posts instead of official committee engagements, making it difficult for Parliament to effectively exercise its oversight responsibilities.

The Minority stressed that it is not making allegations against the minister but is seeking clarification on what it describes as unresolved issues surrounding the evacuation exercise.

“We are not drawing conclusions or making any allegations. We are asking questions, and these are very reasonable questions based on what he put out,” another member noted.

They said it would wait for the minister’s response before deciding whether to escalate the matter. Members explained that once the information is received, it will be compared with documents and information already available to them.

“We believe the questions will come and then we will reconcile it with our information and our documents. Then we will know what to do,” the caucus said.

The Minority added that if discrepancies emerge after reviewing the minister’s response, Parliament and the caucus would determine the next course of action, including possible investigations or other accountability measures.

For now, the caucus says its priority is to secure answers to the RTI request and ensure that all questions surrounding the South Africa evacuation exercise are fully addressed.

“We still have some time. We are hoping and we believe that the minister will respond,” the caucus stated.