Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has accused President Akufo-Addo of deceiving the Ghanaian populace by covering up the facts of the US military pact and relaying what he deems fit for the consumption of Ghanaians in his address to the nation Thursday evening.
President Akufo-Addo in a televised address to the nation on Thursday evening expressed outrage at his opponents, describing their comments over the Ghana-US military co-operation agreement as irresponsible and defamatory.
He said “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. And I am sure 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.”
The President said the agreement was presented to parliament for ratification and duely disclosed to the public for purposes of transparency and accountability.
“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?”
But Mr Ablakwa who was speaking on Metro TV’s ‘Good Evening Ghana’ believes that the terms of the agreement were presented to parliament not necessarily because of Akufo-Addo wanted to do the right thing but because he was mandated to do so per enshrinements in the 1992 constitution.
“In an interpretation of Article 75 of the 1992 constitution, the Supreme Court declared that every agreement should be sent to parliament for ratification. So for the President to speak as though he had a choice, is not exactly truthful or accurate” he noted.
The North Tongu MP stated emphatically that the minority’s comments on the agreement were not aimed at getting at President Akufo-Addo.
“It’s not about wanting to destroy President Akufo-Addo, it’s not about him nor America” he stressed.
Ghana-US pact
On March 23, 2018, Parliament ratified an agreement between the governments of Ghana and the USA on defence cooperation, the status of US forces, access to and use of agreed facilities and areas in Ghana.
The object of the agreement is to set forth a framework for enhanced partnership and security cooperation between the US and Ghana, with the aim of strengthening the defence relationship further.
It is also to address shared security challenges in the region while clouding those related to the protection of government personnel and facilities.
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