A President doesn’t talk down to his people this way – Ablakwa

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has expressed grave disappointment towards the President’s address on the controversial military agreement between Ghana and the United States

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo addressed the nation Thursday concerning the deal which has sparked massive debate since its announcement.

The President in his speech subtly threw a few punches at people who made a huge ‘fuss’ about the deal.

Members of the opposition previously organized a protest against the deal, an exercise that increased the weight of criticisms the government was receiving over the agreement.

The President, among other things, said, “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? 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? Surely, this is the kind of cynical manipulation by reckless self-seekers, which, in the fullness of time, the people of Ghana will acknowledge and condemn.”

The address which was intended to clarify uncertainties surrounding the deal, did not go down well with Mr. Ablakwa as he described the speech as an insult to the Ghanaian populace.

“A terribly sad night indeed. This is not how a President talks down to his own people. The intolerant, condescending and insulting response to genuine concerns of Ghanaians from all sections of society is very regrettable”, he tweeted moments after the address.

Speaking on Metro TV’s ‘Good Evening Ghana’ show, an obviously unenthused Mr. Ablakwa criticized the President and suggested that he was disrespectful in his speech.

“I am a really sad man tonight. Terribly sad. This is not how we expect our president to talk down to us. A president doesn’t talk down to his people this way. The president was very intolerant. He was very condescending, he was very insulting, “he said.

He explained that several Ghanaians including former President, Jerry John Rawlings and A former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana Prof. Akilagpa Sawyerr had expressed their concerns about the deal and so the President’s ‘harsh’ words may be indirectly directed to them also.

“All of the people who have been speaking against this agreement, President Jerry John Rawlings, who has raised concerns. He is a reckless, self-seeking, mischief maker? Prof Akilapa Sawayer, member of the council of state who said he was particularly frightened when he read the agreement. He is not a frontline politician, “he mentioned.

A terribly sad night indeed. This is not how a President talks down to his own people. The intolerant, condescending and insulting response to genuine concerns of Ghanaians from all sections of society is very regrettable.

— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) April 5, 2018