NPP MPs approved Ghana-Us military deal under duress – Nii Lante alleges

National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for the Odododiodoo Constituency, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuije is alleging that New Patriotic Party (NPP) Majority Members of Parliament approved the Ghana-US military pact under serious compulsion.

He also claimed that all NPP MPs were called to the seat of government, the Flagstaff House, to meet with President Akufo-Addo to deliberate on how to execute the plan ahead of laying the Bill in parliament for approval.

The said meeting according to Nii Lante Vanderpuije took place on Monday before President Akufo-Addo left Ghana to Rwanda to attend the African Union Summit.

He said some of the NPP MPs who did not agree to the approval of the deal because it was not in the best interest of the country were threatened that the presidency will ensure they lose their parliamentary seats come election 2020.

The Odododiodoo lawmaker was speaking in an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Gold Power Drive Tuesday.

A one-sided parliament on Friday, March 23, 2018, ratified the 2018, controversial Defence Cooperation agreement between Ghana and the US.

It comes after the Minority side stormed out of the Law Chamber, leaving the ruling NPP MPs to rubberstamp the pact late in the night before parliament rose for recess.

This is despite the massive public protest against the deal which many including the largest opposition described as “dangerous” and a sale of Ghana’s sovereignty.

The Government of Ghana, according to a leaked document, has approved the agreement with the US to set up a military base in Ghana and also allow unrestricted access to a host of facilities and wide-ranging tax exemptions to the United States Military—a claim the government of Ghana and the US denied.