Defence Deal: Akufo-Addo “Firm, Robust” – Amoah

A lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Lloyd Amoah, has said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was firm and robust in his address to the nation concerning the military agreement Ghana has signed with the United States of America (USA).

Nana Akufo-Addo affirmed, in no uncertain terms that Ghana has “not offered a military base, and will not offer a military base to the United States of America.”

According to him, “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.”

In his Thursday, 5 April 2018 address, the President stated that “in consideration of the realities of our circumstances and the challenges to peace in our region in our time, we have deemed it prudent to continue the Co-operation Agreement with the United States of America.”

He was confident that the U.S.-Ghana Military Co-operation Agreement “will help enhance our defence capability, and offer an important layer of support in our common effort to protect the peace in our region.”

Explaining why his Government had departed from the previous norms of predecessor governments to keep military co-operation agreements entered into with the United States of America secret, President Akufo-Addo indicated that his government was of the view that such agreements should be subject to the appropriate scrutiny of Parliament, in consonance with the requirements of accountable governance and the teachings of the Constitution.

“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?”

Commenting on this on his Facebook page, Dr Amoah said: “The President was firm and robust in his choice of words. He needed that to calm the waters.

“But this is what his men and women should have done earlier on this matter. Present the matter to the people with the facts and figures and apprise the people of plans afoot within the context of existing agreements. A leaked document will have been an exercise in futility.”



Source: ClassFMonline