The Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs has described as insulting and regrettable a justification by the US Ambassador that the $20 million that Ghana stands to gain under the military deal is substantial.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said Robert Jackson’s comment reduces Ghana’s "sovereignty and very existence" to money which is not good enough.
“It is debasing and depressing to reduce the argument to $20 million,” he said, stressing even the amount the ambassador quoted is not captured in the said agreement.
He said the offer of cash is akin to "one saying Ghana is a failed state with total insecurity" where there is no law or order and the US government is coming in to save the situation.
“That is not what is happening here, so it is important that we don’t reduce such important issue about the peace of the country, image and dignity of the citizens to a pittance,” he said.
The former Education Minister’s comment follows Ambassador Jackson’s interview with Joy News arguing Ghana stands to benefit substantially from $20 million it will be given for its cooperation in the agreement.
“$20 million being invested in the Ghanaian army in a year is pretty significant return,” he told Joy News’ Gifty Andoh Appiah.
He also added that the US armed forces are only around to conduct operations and they will leave afterwards.
But Mr Ablakwa says that is inaccurate per the agreement and they will be in the country as long as they choose to.
“Several articles in this agreement talks of a permanent military presence…they are even going to come in with contractors who are going to undertake construction activities and other services with military and civilian personnel,” he stressed.
He said someone is not being forthright with some information so it is important it is not rushed through.
“Let us take our time and withdraw this agreement from parliament; It has too many errors, it has not been signed or executed, which is in gross violation of Article 75 (2).
“So even what you are seeking to rush through parliament, if someone goes to the Supreme Court, this whole thing will be thrown out,” he said.
The North Tongu legislator also chastised the Akufo-Addo government for rushing to get the agreement ratified before parliament rises Friday.
Mr Ablakwa is proposing a dialogue with all the political parties to decide the way forward with the agreement as a country since whatever is agreed on will affect successive governments.
Source: myjoyonline.com
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IT IS TIME TO FORM THE "ALL AFRICA POLITICAL PARTY" AAPP. THIS WILL BE A PAN-AFRICAN PARTY TO SUPPORT STRUGGLING AFRICAN NATIONS WITH A UNITED FRONT. WE HAVE BEEN DIVIDED IN ORDER TO BE CONQUERED. WE HAVE TO UNITE IN ORDER TO WIN THE VICTORY. THE SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA CONTINUES. ARISE AND STRUGGLE. REMEMBER THE SAME TACTICS OF OLD. AGREEMENTS, TREATIES, THE BOND OF 1844. PROTECTORATE. TERRITORY. COLONY. MARKET. THEN STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE. SELF-GOVERNMENT. SOVEREIGN. 1957 - 2018 = 61 YEARS OLD. THINK.
these cr1m1nals only gets their minds switched on when in opposition. this is why they shd stay in opposition forever. they are good at making sure the govt does the right thing but they have no idea what is good when they are in power. they already sold the country for $300,000 so what are they talking abt. they shd shu%tup bcos we Ghanaians already know this deal is not good and we will cry for ourselves. they are hypocrites. thank God they are not in power bcos they will sign it and nobody will know abt it. the only thin we will see is the US soldiers in town then we will start asking questions. they are pretending they care but they dont. Guys we need to wake up. these politicians are playing on our intelligence. So is npp tell us that if ndc created the mess they will also add more to it? we voted them out bcos of the mess they created and brought u in to help clean the mess and not to add more to it. nana we are watching u and ur govt o. i hope ppp or cpp will be warming up bcos ndc can never be an option for me and my household. i know npp will listen and reject the request. just tell Trump we dont want to be disturbed in our sh%th0le. he can take his request to Norway. ndc is just crying bcos they want to make sure npp do not get the money. ndc wouldnt have bothered if there was no money involved.
GHANA IS NOT INTERESTED IN THIS $20M PACKAGE TO SELL HER BIRTH RIGHT TO ANY NATION. THIS IS AN INSULT TO GHANA. WHY DIDNT THEY TRY NIGERIA? THEY DARE NOT!! THEY SEE GHANA AS A CHEAP COUNTRY AND THAT IS WHAT THE DEFENCE MINISTER HAS PROVEN, THAT HE IS CHEAP AND UNINFORMED!! BUT THANK GOD THIS THING LEAKED AND HE WILL HAVE TO RUN WITH HIS TAIL BETWEEN HIS LEGS. INFACT HE MUST RESIGN!!!
where countries are signing agreement for development and mutual benefit pacts, Ghana is signing agreement to surrender her sovereignty to become a slave to USA in era of day. is this how *demorcrazy* and politics has degraded us to, so we cant think from our coconut? are we afraid of US? a country that does not respect us and has done so much to destroy us yet we want them to take our life at the expense of all the insult. once US get that established in Ghana, all our international alliance with other countries who are enemies to USA will withdraw and US can use as door mat. they have nothing good for us. china is reiterating equally to trump trade tariffs with over 15% import tax of about 128 US products to china. yes this is a serious country. indeed we shet-hole.
I don't blame you. You have stolen so much so 20million Dollars is nothing to you. If NDC has managed the economy well by not engaging in massive stealing we will not be where we are today. After all now you own house at Osu Penthouse so $20m is peanuts to tou
interesting arguments. People of Ghana, do you say a wife is right in cheating on the husband because the husband cheated on her? if something is wrong, let us be bold to say it is wrong and stop this attitude of "some one did it first so another can also do it". Why Ghana, huh? Why didnt the US go to Nigeria? has the NPP also taken some monies apart from the $20m we are told our military from benefit from? Eeeiii, Ghana paaaa ena aye fo sei?
1 dollar can buy you.fooolishh boy...martin amidu will soon have you arrested
NDC IS NOTORIOUS FOR TAKING GOOD TO BE BAD AND BAD TO BE GOOD. THE ARRANGEMENT OF NPP GOVERNMENT WITH AMERICA ON INTERNATIONAL SECURITY IS FAR BETTER THAN THE GITMO 2 ARRANGEMENT OR ANY OTHER THAT NDC ENTER WITH AMERICA. THE REACTION OF NDC TO THE RECENT ARRANGEMENT OF THE TWO NATIONS SHOW HOW NDC IS MISCHIEVOUS AND HYPOCRITICAL. THE RECENT HULLABALOO OF NDC IS AN INDICATION THAT NDC HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE AND THE MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE COUNTRY IS A THREAT TO THEIR DIABOLIC AGENDA.
The signing of that so-called agreement, tantamounts to Ghanaians deaths through terrorisms and testing of destruction bombs.The whole world is seeing Ghanaians as cheap for the U.S. to buy and do their ***barred word*** activities while imposing death penalties unprovoked on our innocent citizents.Watch out!!!. You are inviting deaths and destructins on Ghanaians and Akuffo Addow and his cabinet should be hanged
For once i'm with you Hon. The government has failed us totally. I and my family voted for NPP but come 2020 we are not going anywhere (out)so that we vote for them anymore. NDC too, the create,loot and share made them unqualified for our votes