We’ll make it very costly for government to carry forward Ghana-US deal – Fuseini

“We are wholly committed to holding the feet of NPP and the Akufo-Addo government to the fire of accountability… I am telling you students, we will make it costly for the NPP to carry forward the agreement.”

These were the exact words of National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu constituency, Hon A.B.A Fuseini to students at the Northern Regional capital on Saturday.

Mr A.B.A Fuseini sent a note of warning to the Akufo-Addo government that it has yet to see the very last of resistance against the US-Ghana agreement from the minority, who are willing and ready to spit fire over the controversial Ghana-US Military deal.

He promised the government will see real “fire and fury” from the opposition NDC inasmuch as demonstrations and the US military deal are concerned.

MYNEWSGH.com’s Northern Regional Correspondent reported from Tamale Technical University where we covered a program the opposition’s students wing, TEIN had organized.

The event was attended by current and past NDC MPs including Hon Isaac Adongo and Murtala Mohammed.

Mr Fuseini said the Ghana-US Military deal is a “walking contradiction” and an “illegality”, which will be opposed by the minority so far as it remains as it is.

“The Executive should have executed the agreement before it was brought to parliament. We brought it to the attention of the speaker to no avail,” he said.

“So from day one we have been against it. It is an illegality. It is a walking contradiction and an affront to our constitution. They will tell you our (NDC) MPs approved this at the committee level. It is a blatant falsehood”, the NDC MP said.

Known for his choicy proverbs, he told the students:

“You can’t be sacked from a place in the afternoon and when you are leaving you greet goodnight.”

Mr A.B.A Fuseini revealed that the Ghana First Patriotic Front demonstration is the first and smallest in a series of demonstrations that will rock this government over “the selling of our sovereignty to the US” adding that they will hold President Akufo-Addo’s legs to the fire of accountability.

“We are wholly committed to holding the feet of NPP and the Akufo-Addo government to the fire of accountability”, the Sagnarigu MP said.

“We will make it costly for the NPP to carry forward the agreement. When ordinary people do not agree to something, no one can force them to. The first demonstration Ghana First Patriotic Front they saw is the first of many they are yet to see.” He told the cheering students.

He chastised “ignorant” Dominic Nitiwul, Defense Minister for mixing up “rectify” and “ratify”, a mishap all the previous speakers at the program didn’t spare the Defense Minister on.

Mr ABA Fuseini donated 1000 cedis to the TEIN TTU campus and commended them for organising the program, assuring them that the minority in parliament led by Haruna Iddrisu will continue to give them competent representation on all issues of national interest.



The controversial agreement

“This agreement is not the first time… similar ones were agreed between the countries in 1997 and 2007. And it is going to Parliament because any foreign agreement must go to Parliament, besides requests for tax waivers can only be granted by Parliament”, was the explanation Defense Minister Dominic Nitiwul gave the media when queried on the deal.

“I have no authority to grant tax waivers,” he said, explaining that the partnership is strategic as it seeks to strengthen Ghanaian forces and defences particularly in this era of terrorism and terror attacks.

“The United States of America is not establishing a military base in Ghana, at all…it is not true and they do not intend to do that, not at all.” He said, for clarity.

He took pains to explain that the US has brought a Defense Corporation Agreement seeking an understanding of the status of their troops who come to Ghana to train our soldiers and vice versa. He added that they have only asked to make use of some facilities at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and the Tema Port to keep their cargo and other materials they may use during their stay in the country.

The US Embassy corroborated same. But many Ghanaians think otherwise.

Mr Nitiwul came back harder: “There is no military base anywhere and people are running home with it as if the US has come to establish a base here…it is not true, please,” he stressed.

The devilish detail

According to the agreement, Ghana will provide unimpeded access to and use of agreed facilities and areas to the U.S. forces and Contractors, including non-liability clauses that makes Ghana laws inapplicable to offending US troops.

Ghana is also granting free use of our radio spectrum for the United States, something many criticize.

Ghana is entitled to $20 million dollars in aid over a period for the deal.