K.B. Asante Blasts Information Ministry Over Gitmo Transfer Issue
Retired Ghanaian diplomat and statesman Dr. KB Asante says the transfer of 2 Guantanamo Bay detainees to Ghana is not strange. He says it is a normal diplomatic transaction that could take place between any 2 friendly nations. He however criticized the Ministry of Information and Media Relations for not being on top of their game by making sure the issue is properly dissected and disseminated for public consumption.
“It is a normal diplomatic transaction between two nations on friendly terms, the details of the transaction however is what is important “ he said.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, Dr. Asante said the suspected terrorists have been checked and cleared by the United States before passing them on to Ghana where they will be held for 2 years before being transferred back possibly to Yemen, their country of origin. He said the bigger question should be the state of Ghana’s security apparatus and whether it is in any shape to protect the citizenry. “If our security apparatus cannot handle 2 individuals, then we should all be worried” he said.
The respected diplomat who served first president Kwame Nkrumah’s government however said the transaction should have been handled better in terms of informing the public.
“You have an Information Ministry that is tight-lipped and almost inaccessible handling affairs, how are Ghanaians supposed to conjecture what is going on?” he asked.
Ghana accepted to accept Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby, former detainees at Guatanamo Bay for 2 years under circumstances yet to be revealed by the government. The 2 arrived in Ghana on Thursday January 7, 2016 and are believed to have been settled in around the Western Regional capital, Takoradi.
