'We should be more worried about NPP than Gitmo 2' – Agyenim Boateng

Presidential Staffer, James Agyenim Boateng has said if Ghanaians have been able to live with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for all this while, the citizenry should not have a problem with the accommodation of two ex-Guantanamo Bay detainees in the country.

According to him, the NPP whose violent nature and conduct in itself is a threat to the security of the state should be the last people to be speaking about issues relating to the ex-terrorists.

The NPP mounted a strong opposition to government’s decision to house the two ex–detainees in Ghana ever since the issue was made public nearly two months ago.

On Tuesday, the party through its Minority caucus in Parliament stated that President Mahama could be impeached for breaching sections of the constitution in hosting Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby.

Article 75 (1) of the constitution says “The president may execute or cause to be executed treaties agreements or conventions in the name of Ghana.

“75 (2) A treaty, agreement or convention executed by or under the authority of the President shall be subject to ratification by-

(a) Act of Parliament; or

(b) a resolution of Parliament supported by the votes of more than on behalf of all the members of Parliament

The NPP contends that the president could be impeached because he has flouted the above requirements.

However, speaking on Peace FM on Wednesday in reaction to the Minority’s position, James Agyenim Boateng wondered why the NPP are behaving as though they are more concerned about the security of the state than President John Mahama.

"I don’t think within any jurisdiction, the citizenry will be more concerned about the country’s security than the president. In any case, if there were to be any problems with national security today, which government will go down in history as having recorded that problem? So I believe the President’s decision to accommodate the ex-detainees here was in the best interest of the country.

He added: “Why are we worried about what we know already. We should be worried about what we don’t know. We have been able to live in this country with our brothers in the NPP. They themselves are a security concern. They are always fighting at their party headquarters. Guns, cudgels, bow and arrow, flying all over the place. We hear them screaming all die be die, we’ve consolidated all the bad boys among other reckless comments, yet we’ve contained them.” Agyenim Boateng noted.