'Ghana no collect money to receive deportees from US' - Foreign Affairs Minister wash hand comot from Lawsuit

Ghana govment don wash dia hand comot say dem no collect any money from United States President Donald Trump ontop di deported West African migrants wey dem receive.

Dis na afta one lawsuit tok say dem tie di deported West African migrants under President Donald Trump for inside straitjackets wen dem dey fly dem back to Ghana.

According to di complaint filed by lawyers for Asian Americans Advancing Justice, dem say make judge bin immediately stop di deportations of migrants to dia kontris of origin.

Di lawsuit add say na for 16 hours dem bin tie di migrants during di flight and na no only bread and water dem give dem, AP report.

On behalf of five of di migrants, di lawsuit wey dem file for di federal court for Washington say na middle of di flight dem bin wake di deportees up and dem no tell dem wia dem dey go until several hours wey dem don put dem inside di U.S. military cargo plane.

Howeva, Ghana say dia own na to receive di deportees sake of say dem be West Africans and di lawsuit no touch dem.

Earlier, Ghana president John Mahama bin confam arrival of West African deportees wey come from di United States afta both kontris reach agreement.

President Mahama on Wednesday 11 September 2025, tok say about 14 individuals wey di US bin deport bin land for Ghana.

Dis don raise plenti tok tok from pipo including Ghanaians wey dey ask weda di govment collect money from di US in exchange for di deportees.

Ontop accusation say e be like say Ghana collect some financial help from America to receive di deportees, di Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, say dat kain tin no happun.

Di minister say Ghana no get any money from di agreement wit di US to accept some of di West African deportees.

"Na why we make am clear to America say we no go collect one dollar, we no want. We no dey find any financial gain at all, we stand say we no go receive any financial reward."

"E come wit some financial burden to host and accommodate dem, but we say we no go collect anytin becos dem fit turn am say we dey do am for anoda reason or financial objective."

Ghana minister say di right of di deported migrants don dey violated alreadi, but di lawsuit na to drag di Trump administration as e no concern Ghana.

E add asy dem only dey help to look afta di West African deportees sake of humanitarian ground.

"Dis pipo get dia right violated alreadi, bifor dem be depart. We follow di lawsuit wey dem file e dey important say Ghana no dey for dia."

"We no be di target of di pesin wey tok say dia rights dey violated. Dia target na di United States, di Trump administration. We only dey help for humanitarian ground, we dey look for fellow Africans."

Meanwhile, Ghana say dia agreement wit America na say dem go take only West African migrants, like oda regions dey do.

Who dey di West African deportees

According to di Ghana president, most of di deportees na Nigerians while odas na from Gambia.

E say di Ghana govment don tell di Nigerian deportees to return to dia kontri afta dem provide bus transportation wey go carry dem go back Naija.

For di Gambian nationals, e say dem go need to work wit di Gambian Embassy for di kontri so dem go fit provide air ticket to return to dia home kontri.

Why Ghana accept di West African deportees arrangement

According to President Mahama, e say di reason why Ghana dey participate for di deportation agreement na sake of say e dey in line wit ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement.

E say di protocol bin allow citizens of oda member states to enta and stay for oda West African kontris even wen dem no get visa for up to 90 days.

"West Africa get di protocol of free movement, and so sake of dat any West African dey free to come to Ghana and dey to stay for 90 days."

President Mahama say no be big issue if dem receive pipo from oda West African kontris into Ghana.

"If dem dey bring our colleagues back, we no get any problem to accept dem," Mahama tok.