There's more to U.S. military deal than we are told - Nunoo-Mensah

A former Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah has suggested that there is more to the Ghana-US military deal than has been presented to public.

The veteran Brigadier General hinted that though government has said a lot to defuse the notion that the US by this deal will be setting up a military base in Ghana, there is much more to the deal which hasn't been exposed.

On Thursday President Akufo-Addo addressed the nation in his first public utterance on the issue in an attempt to clear the air on matters arising from the deal since it was made public.

He dispelled the assertion that the country’s sovereignty has been sold by the deal, insisting that Ghana will never allow the United States to set up a base in the country for as long as he remained president reiterating his commitment to put the interest of the country first at all times.

Despite the President's address, Nunoo-Mensah, clearly dissatisfied with assurances given disclosed that should the agreement go through in its current form, it may change the country's destiny.

"We are living peacefully with our hunger and whatnot, let's resolve that. To bring these people here, I know that it is going to be much more than just what we are being told. The agreement is much more than just they are not going to have a base here. It is more than that and I can see our destiny not being the same" Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah said to host of GH Today, Kafui Dey

He said Akufo-Addo and his government could have done better negotiating the agreement by doing broader consultations.

He accused the government of rushing it through parliament and sidestepping experienced people like himself who are highly knowledgeable in such matters.

Citing examples from the Middle East and Africa, Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah explained that this deal could make or unmake Ghana as such there is no need to rush it through.

"Don't rush this thing. This thing can make or unmake Ghana, I am telling you, can make or unmake Ghana. Look at the Middle East what happened to Iraq, Syria, Lybia they are all in chaos yet we thought people like Saddam Hussein, Gadafi were menace, after they have gone those countries, some of them are finished forever" he stressed

Ghana is expected to benefit about $20 million that will be invested in military training and equipment from the deal but Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah described that as a 'funny thing'.

The U.S he stated are protecting their interest, which is Ghana's oil, with this deal but according to the former Chief of Defense Staff, Ghana has nothing to gain as nothing in the agreement represents the interest of the nation.

"We are a small country with our own interest, what I am looking for when I have a mutual agreement like this one, Americans know why they want to come here, for our petroleum. We shouldn't be serving their interest, we should be serving our own interest. So I was looking through the agreement, where will Ghana's interest be served, what's Ghana going to benefit? They say they will give us some $20 million or some funny thing like that" he fumed on GH Today show on GhOne TV.

The defense cooperation with the US ratified by parliament in March 2018 is an enhanced deal from the 2015 agreement between Ghana and US.