Deportees and Hypocrisy: Why the NPP Has No Moral Right to Cry Wolf Over Security

The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) sudden outrage over Ghana’s acceptance of deportees from the United States smacks of political hypocrisy. Overnight, the NPP has become the self-styled guardian of national security, warning of the dangers of deportees. But Ghanaians are not suffering from amnesia. We vividly remember how, in its dying days, the NPP government recklessly introduced a visa-free policy for all African nationals, an ill-considered move that exposed the country to risks far greater than what it now pretends to fear.

Marketed under the banner of Pan-Africanism, that policy flung open Ghana’s doors to people from regions already battling terrorism, insurgency, human trafficking, and cross-border smuggling. With porous borders and weak intelligence systems, the NPP effectively gave insecurity a blank cheque. If that was not an invitation to danger, what was?

Against this background, the NPP has no moral right to single out the current government’s deportee arrangement as a unique security threat. Both policies carry risks. The party cannot feign ignorance of the dangers it itself courted through its careless visa-free adventure.

That said, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government cannot find refuge in pointing fingers at the NPP. Citizens deserve transparency and accountability. Too many critical questions remain unanswered: Under what conditions did Ghana agree to accept deportees from the United States? What mechanisms are in place to prevent criminal elements from blending undetected into our communities? And most importantly, what tangible benefits does Ghana gain from this arrangement?

For many observers, the decision to accept deportees is baffling, particularly in light of the Trump administration’s punitive aid cuts to African nations, including Ghana. Those cuts left serious gaps in health, agriculture, and education. With Ghana already burdened by a ballooning budget deficit, why accept deportees from a country that has shown little commitment to our growth? Should we be absorbing America’s problems at a time when our own resources are stretched thin? This is the pressing question that demands honest answers.

Equally troubling are reports that this agreement was reached without parliamentary scrutiny. Ghana is a constitutional democracy, not a playground for backroom deals. No government has the right to commit the nation to arrangements of such far-reaching security implications without legislative oversight. Citizens did not elect leaders to make secretive commitments on matters that could affect their safety and stability. Leadership demands openness, not silence.

If the NPP insists on politicising national security, it must first explain why it gambled recklessly with Ghana’s safety through its visa-free-for-all policy. Until then, its criticisms ring hollow. And if the NDC wants to preserve the trust of Ghanaians, it must come clean on the deportee deal. Anything less will be seen as betrayal.

Ultimately, the issue is bigger than partisan bickering. It is about protecting Ghana’s sovereignty, ensuring that national security decisions are grounded in transparency, and making sure that ordinary citizens are not left to pay the price of reckless diplomacy. Both parties must rise above short-term politics and confront the realities: Ghana cannot afford policies that compromise its safety or place additional strain on its fragile economy.

Ghanaians are watching—closely.

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