The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has 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 President Akufo-Addo, “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 an address to the nation on Thursday, 5th April, 2018, 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 US-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?”
1998, 2000, 2015 Agreements
Touching on the conduct of Ghana’s foreign policy, the President stated that the country’s foreign policy has been consistently bi-partisan, and no successor government has found the need to tamper with any Agreement of a non-commercial nature, entered into by its predecessor.
He noted that “we respect the age-old norms of international diplomacy that, when a country has accorded concessions and privileges to another, these are not removed or altered by a successor government, unless, firstly, the conditions under which they were granted have been reversed; or, secondly, there is proven evidence of abuse.”
The President explained his administration came to know that Ghana had entered into a Co-operation Agreement with the United States of America, in 1998, 2000, and under the government of my predecessor in 2015.
His government was, nonetheless, satisfied that the conditions which necessitated the Agreements of 1998, 2000 and 2015, namely the creeping threat to the peace of the region, had not disappeared, adding that if anything, the threat had increased and, therefore, the need had arisen for continuing with the co-operation with the United States of America.
President Akufo-Addo stressed that no suggestion had ever been made that the United States of America had abused any of the privileges or concessions granted under any of these agreements, and it would, thus, have been deemed an unfriendly act to attempt to deny them any concession granted them under the earlier agreements.
Conditions of agreement
Touching on the conditions of the Agreement, President Akufo-Addo explained that these conditions mirror closely the conditions under which Ghana participates in peace-keeping operations under the United Nations, citing the example that when Ghanaian troops go on most peacekeeping duties, they do not carry their national passports, but rather carry their military identity.
Again, the President noted that quite apart from how this Agreement involves the military as an institution, it was worth pointing out that, virtually since independence, Ghana has had very fruitful relations with a range of foreign embassies and major international institutions.
These, he said, include the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the African Development Bank, the International Finance Corporation, amongst others. All these agencies enjoy similar conditions as those which the Co-operation Agreement offers to the US military here.
“No one has dared suggest that granting these foreign embassies and international institutions these concessions constitute an attack on the sovereignty of Ghana. Nor has anyone also felt that the concessions have in any way worked against the interests of Ghana. Indeed, I have no doubt that it would be the general consensus of all well-informed Ghanaians that this nation has benefitted significantly from the presence and activities of these institutions over the past decades,” the President said.
It was clear to President Akufo-Addo that, if the people of Ghana knew the conditions under which foreign embassies and our friendly international institutions operate in Ghana, nobody would have been surprised that a Defence Cooperation Agreement would make such provisions.
“Such knowledge would have spared many citizens the genuine anxiety and concern they have felt about the Agreement. It is my firm belief that the case for openness and transparency in our governance has been clearly demonstrated, and the argument conclusively settled by these events,” he said.
Reckless self-seeking politicians
President Akufo-Addo urged Ghanaians to take issue with the front-line politicians who have sought to mislead the people of Ghana in this blatant manner, and those who, for mischievous purposes, leaked the document destined for the scrutiny of Parliament prematurely to a section of the media, who then went on to describe it as a “secret document”.
“How could a document intended for the consideration of Parliament be described as a “secret document”? How could anyone who has been in government and run the administration of this nation feign ignorance of the conditions under which Ghanaian troops undertake peace-keeping operations, or the conditions under which our country has collaborated with major international institutions?” he asked.
The President continued, “It is difficult to understand that such people, knowing what they do know, would set about so blatantly to confuse people, and go as far as calling for the overthrow of our democracy? A democracy that has become the beacon of good governance in Africa?”
He was confident that this kind of cynical manipulation by “reckless self-seekers”, in the fullness of time, will be acknowledged and condemned by Ghanaians, stressing that “as the facts become clear and widely available, and as the people come to terms with the evidence, they will reject the falsehood and deliberate attempts to destabilize our peaceful country. Truth is sacrosanct.”
President outraged
In conclusion, President Akufo-Addo expressed his outrage at the defamatory comments from his 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.”
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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WELL SAID MR PRESIDENT. YOUR LOVE AND PASSION FOR GHANA TO SUCCEED IS NOT IN DOUBT. THEY THAT PUT THEIR FAITH AND TRUST IN THE LORD SHALL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME. YOUR DETRACTORS ARE MANY BUT THE BATTLE IS STILL THE LORD'S. IT IS WELL.
Ghanaian journalist lack proper training. It doesn't make sense how there are so much false news on our TVs and Radios. This is a country and knowledge within it must be controlled meaning you do not release anything you hear or see. This document was before parliament and ***barred word*** journalists without proper training made loud noises about it as if it had never happened before in the history of this country. From the president there is no military base in the deal so where did it come from? It is the same way journalist sit on radios and speak as specialist on matters they have no knowledge of. There is the need for most journalist to be retrained to understand the impact of what they say on society. When they discuss rape, it's as if it is a good act to practice. Learn journalists, learn.
Oh my God the wise and God fearing leader has spoken. God bless our president. Ghanaians must never again change their God given lenses to distinguish between truth and lies. I am of strong belief that Ghanaians will never make that previous mistake again where by Ndc lies and rigging machine made them sneak into governance . Thank God the wise margin Ghanaians put up for Ndc propaganda caused heavenly angles clapped for Ghanaians wisdom Ghanaians must stay put and widen the margin between truth and lies in 2020 God bless Our beloved Nation Ghana
The USA Has never hidden the fact that they have permanent interest but not permanent friends. THEY ARE ONLY COMING TO GHANA FOR THEIR INTEREST. ACADEMICS ARE QUITE, CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS ARE QUIET, CELEBRITIES ARE QUITE, THINK TANKS ARE QUITE, JOURNALIST ARE QUITE, THE CLERGY IS QUITE. EII MOTHER GHANA!!!!!
pro-usa.
If u dun agree with the president, dun insult him. Why has politics mk some young ppl so senseless?
Stop addressing NDC sympathizers and say why the deal is good for GHANA. Your president didn't say anything sensible. He only insulted Ghanaians who are against the deal.
Do you people read and understand English at all? I am so much disappointed in you guys, I bet you all need free SHS for sure. The president made it clear that Ghana has “not offered a military base, and will not offer a military base to the United States of America.” So which part did you not understand? You ndc people are pure nation wreckers, you have previously singed 3 of such agreements in 1998, 2000 and 2015 and you kept it secret from Ghanaians. But this current government made this known to us for their quality of honesty to us. We Ghanaians are rather mad at you ndc for keeping those agreements as secret from us, and you have been rather expose by this current government. Shame on you ndc, your incompetent and hypocrisy is too much. We cannot deal with you anymore, and you cannot tell us to hate the president or his government for telling us the truth about something you guys have done three times without telling us. you ndc guys are just nothing but bunch of liars and ***barred word***, I pray you remain in opposition forever and never come to wreck Ghana. Amen!
IT TOOK WEEKS FOR HIM TO COME OUT AND TELL US THIS??. HE MADE NO POINT AT ALL. JUST SOME BIG ENGLISH AND RHETORIC.. GHANA IS BLEEDING.
some are self-made leaders and some are true born leaders... this is really how a leader talks. he has really put my fears to tame. to the self-made leaders like mahama and co. look and listen, the buga politics and hypocrisies will not help. seek alternative ways to voicing solutions to Ghanaian s problems and we would love you.... i sometimes love you sooo much but become heart-broken when i notice you want to capitalize on the ***barred word*** masses............. when it comes to unemployment lets hear your voice, when it comes to electricty reductions, lets hear your voice, when it comes to educations lets hear your voice, if not some of us(the wise people) are still heart-broken with your acts you display but the ***barred word*** could not see