Asiedu Nketia, Ablakwa, scores throng Circle to join demo over US-Ghana deal

The Kwame Nkrumah circle interchange is massively crowded as hundreds of vibrant youth throng the area to join in the fight against government’s decision to approve the Military Cooperation deal between the government of Ghana and the US Government.

A group calling itself the Ghana First Patriotic Front (GFPF) has hit the streets Wednesday morning to register their displeasure at government’s decision to accept the deal to allow among other things, unrestricted access to a host of facilities and wide-ranging tax exemptions to the United States Military.

They, with the support of some leaders of the various political parties, notably the NDC, and several citizens are through the protest conveying a common message of disapproval to reiterate the fact that Ghanaians do not support its decision to ratify the deal.

NDC Member of Parliament for North Tongu who is participating in the exercise expressed confidence in the demonstration yielding positive results; influencing government to reverse its decision on the deal. He believes though peaceful, the message will be relayed to government.

“I have hope that it will be peaceful, there’ll be no disturbance or injuries. The group invited us and we met over it and decided this is a very good course, looking at young men who love their country and want to send a clear message to the leadership of the country, the president of the country that this is not something we will support, we have decided to unanimously, unreservedly support them so you can expect that the minority caucus, we’ll be here in our numbers to join this march.

Speaking to Ghanaweb, Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia who has also joined the march indicated that it forms part of efforts to demand ‘freedom’ from government who is trying to ‘sell out’ the country’s sovereignty to another. He maintained that the party is relentless in its efforts to get government to revoke its decision despite the fact that one their ‘soldiers’; Koku Anyidoho was arrested by the CID.

According to him “Freedom is not free, we have to fight for it so the freedom of this country, the independence, was not won on a silver platter, people died, people were imprisoned, Osagyefo himself emerged from prison to become president. The independence of South Africa was not gotten on a silver platter, people fought, people died, and Mandela emerged from prison to become the president. As far as we are concerned, our revolutionary training tells us that when we are in battle and one soldier falls, you walk over the body, continue the battle and win and then you come back to count the dead so we are on course.”

Background

Ghana’s Cabinet had agreed to provide the US’ military troop a place near the Kotoka International Airport, and also give them unhindered access to some key installations following a Memorandum of Understanding between the government of Ghana and the US government.

The MoU was laid before Parliament on Tuesday recommending that Parliament ratifies the agreement, but it was rejected by the opposition in Parliament.

The Majority in Parliament on Friday night, March 23, 2018 ratified the agreement after the Minority walked out of the chamber in protest.