The General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia has served notice that organizers of the demonstrations against the Ghana-US military Cooperation agreement will continue with their nationwide protest until government rescinds the deal.
He said Ghana’s sovereignty cannot be mortgaged to the United States government under the pretext of deepening bilateral relations between the two countries.
The NDC’s chief Scribe was addressing a mammoth crowd at the Tamale Jubilee Park to climax the second leg of the Ghana First Demonstration organized in Tamale.
“The message we are taking away from Tamale is that Ghana is for Ghanaians and Ghana’s interest shall not be compromised,” he said.
“The citizens of Ghana will continue defending the interest of Ghana no matter what it takes. The people’s interest shall not be dampened by arm-twisting tactics, by any fear mongering nor by the anger of any President. Indeed we are friends and we want to be friends to all other countries but if we have to make a choice, if we are forced to make a choice between serving the interest of Ghana and serving the interest of any other country we will choose to serve the interest of Ghana.”
He urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo to take a leaf out of US President Donald Trump’s book by seeking to protect in interests and sovereignty of Ghana’s saying, “I am sure Nana Akufo Addo has been listening to President Trump. President Trump has been emphasizing that America first. He has made it very clear that he was not elected to become the President of any other country. He was elected to be the President of America.”
“So we want Nana Addo to take the message from Tamale clear that if we are challenging anything he does and he comes to intimidate us and threatens us that we are working against the national interest, we will continue to protest the deal.”
Minority Leader
The Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu said their opposition to the Ghana-US military deal is non-negotiable.
According to him, the Minority caucus’ request for the deal to be withdrawn from Parliament in order for certain provisions to be improved was ignored, hence the protest.
The Tamale South legislator explained that the NDC Minority was not totally against the Ghana-US military Cooperation agreement but emphasized the need for modifications to some aspects of the deal.
“On this agreement they have lost the opportunity to have invited Parliament to exercise our sovereign authority as the representatives of the people to improve the contents of the agreement.”
He described President Nana Akufo Addo’s response to the opposition to the deal as an affront to the nation’s “Enviable” democracy.
“To President Nana Akufo Addo let me remind him that when he had a big opportunity to address the country he chose to castigate the NDC opposition,” he stated.
“When he got a good opportunity to unite the country, to improve the contents of this agreement for the good of our country and for the sovereign good and national security interest of our country to collectively fight terrorism, he chose to use the opportunity to run down the political opposition and the NDC.”
He advised President Nana Addo to be tolerant saying, “Let him be reminded that Ghana is a democratic state. There is room for decent and our infrastructure provides for decent. He must be prepared to accommodate dissent. He is compelled to live with dissent and we will compel him to live with dissent.”
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu in the Volta Region, Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa was among other speakers to address the mammoth gathering.
With the agreement ratified, US troops will among other things be exempted from paying taxes on equipment that are brought to Ghana as well be able to use Ghana’s radio spectrum for free.
Privileges of privacy have also been granted to the US army and potential contractors who may operate on Ghanaian soil.
Though the initial fears that Ghana had given the US space for a military base have been dispelled, critics, particularly from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) maintain that Ghana’s sovereignty has been mortgaged.
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citinewsroom.com/Ghana