Defence deal recolonisation – Ablakwa

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has said the military agreement the Ghana Government has signed with the United States of America (USA) is an attempt to recolonise the West African country.

According to him, the deal is bad and does not represent Ghana’s interest, hence must be cancelled.

He told Chief Jerry Forson on Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM on Thursday, 29 March that: “This deal amounts to recolonisation of Ghana.”

“It is bad and has nothing in there for Ghana and must be rejected,” he added.

Mr Ablakwa joined members of the Ghana First Patriotic Front (GFPF), backed by the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), to stage a demonstration on Wednesday against the deal.

Ghana has also agreed to bear the cost of securing US military facilities in the country.

The approval of the agreement was done by only the majority side of parliament with the minority staging a walkout.

Background

The object of the defence agreement is to set forth a framework for enhanced partnership and security cooperation between the US and Ghana, with the aim of strengthening their defence relationship.

Parliament, on March 23, 2018, ratified the agreement between the governments of Ghana and the US.

The ratification followed the adoption of the report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Interior and the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs which had recommended, by a majority decision, the ratification of the agreement.

At a press conference recently, the Minister of Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, had said the US government was making the request based on earlier memoranda signed in February 1998 and April 2015 which were binding on the two countries.