Akufo-Addo Schools NDC

The Ghana-US Military Co-operation Agreement is not a synonym for the establishment of a US Military Base in Ghana, President Nana Akufo-Addo has explained for the education of persons misinforming the public that a US military base is about to be established in Ghana under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) led-Government.

He was categorial and emphatic that Ghana has “not offered a military base and will not offer a military base to the United States of America.”

Nana Akufo-Addo explained that the military co-operation agreement between Ghana and the United States would “help enhance our defence capability and offer an important layer of support in our common effort to protect the peace in our region.”

President Akufo-Addo, in a live television and radio broadcast, on Thursday night, gave an address to the nation on the on the speculative controversy over a supposed US military base to be established in Ghana and noted that: “the United States of America has not made any request for such consideration and, consistent with our established foreign policy, we will not consider any such request.”

For several weeks now, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been emphatic and gone to town with a noisy jamboree that Ghana has entered an agreement with the United States for the latter to establish a military base in Ghana.

Leading figures in the NDC have even gone ahead to make publicize portions of the military Co-operation Agreement between Ghana and the United States of America but with a mischievous slant that the same agreement meant the US would be establishing a military base in Ghana.

Nana Akufo-Addo, in his address Thursday night, explained that entering into a military co-operation agreement with the US is not a new thing initiated by the NPP led-government and that previous governments have all entered into such agreements but kept it under wraps.

The President explained how come  this time the issue has become public debate: “But for this decision to be open about this agreement, how else would we, the people of Ghana, have ever known that, for several decades, Ghana has had defence and security co-operation collaborations with the United States of America? How else would we have known that, in some instances, we have provided them with facilities for the movement of personnel and equipment to help some of our neighbours who were facing security and health challenges?” he asked

The President continued, “And how else would we have exposed the unspeakable hypocrisy of the fraternity of some frontline politicians, who make a habit of running with the hares and hunting with the hounds, who secretly wallow in the largesse of the United States of America, whilst, at the same time, promote anti-American sentiments to a populist constituency?”

I Won’t Sell The Sovereignty of Ghana

In conclusion, President Akufo-Addo expressed his outrage at the defamatory comments from him political opponents, to the effect that Ghana’s sovereignty had been sold by his government and himself.

“I will never be the President that will compromise or sell the sovereignty of our country. I respect deeply the memory of the great patriots whose sacrifice and toil brought about our independence and freedom. I have stood with you, the Ghanaian people, all my adult life, fighting for our individual and collective rights,” he said.

He assured Ghanaians that “Everything I have done, since assuming the great honour and privilege of serving you as President of the Republic, demonstrates that I remain focused on building a self-reliant, free, prosperous Ghana, which will be able to make her own unique contribution to the growth and development of Africa and the world.”

President Akufo-Addo, thus, urged Ghanaians to “concentrate and spend our energies on working together to achieve that goal of a happy and prosperous Ghana, and reject the hypocrisy of the naysayers who led our country into bankruptcy and the worse economic record of modern Ghanaian history. Let us rise above them, and build the Ghana of our destiny, the land of freedom, justice, progress and prosperity.”