The Minority in Parliament has blocked the laying before Parliament, the report of the Joint Committee on Defence and Interior and Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, on the agreement seeking to ratify the hosting of US military troops in Ghana.
In a brief protest between the two sides in Parliament today [Thursday], the leadership of the Majority said the report was ready to be laid before the House to allow for debate.
However, the Minority disagreed, insisting that the report wasn’t ready.
Deputy Majority Leader, Adwoa Safo, said she had been informed by the Chairman of the Committee that “the report is ready, but it is not being taken today, we are only laying it and the report will be taken tomorrow [Friday].”
The Deputy Minority Leader, James Avedzi, disagreed and said: “The indication I have from the ranking member of the committee says that the 5(C) is not ready so I don’t know where the chairman is coming from. So the report for this agreement is not ready,” he stated.
The Speaker subsequently ruled that the laying of the report should be skipped until the two sides can come to a consensus on it.
“If the report is ready it is ready. If it is not ready, you negotiate and if there is a negotiation and there is understanding I [will] proceed. [But] it appears there is clearly no negotiation so no progress.”
NDC MP walks out of Committee meeting
A Member of the Committee and member of the Minority in Parliament, Rockson Dafeamekpor, on Wednesday walked out of a meeting to consider an agreement with the United States of America for a defence cooperation arrangement that will allow them to have a camp in Ghana for its military forces.
Mr. Dafeamekpor, said the agreement which had been brought before the House for ratification had not been signed by government, hence his decision to leave the meeting.
“As a Member of Parliament, I cannot be part of a process that will go and vary the terms of a memorandum that is yet to be signed. There is no signature on the memorandum. The memo accompanying the memorandum to Parliament says in paragraph three that Cabinet approved the memorandum and approved and recommended same for Parliament for ratification. So the exercise we are being called upon to engage in is to ratify. We are simply to look at it and by consensus or voting approve of the agreement,” he said.
Nitiwul lays document in Parliament
The Minister of Denfense, Dominic Nitiwul, on Tuesday laid before Parliament the document seeking to ratify an agreement for space around the Kotoka International Airport, which will serve as a camp for some US military forces in Ghana.
The agreement will among other things, exempt the US government from paying taxes on equipment that is brought to Ghana.
They will also be given the chance to set their own telecommunication system, although they will be allowed to use Ghana’s radio spectrum free of charge.
Although many Ghanaians have expressed resentment over the clauses of the agreement, the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, said the agreement is in the best interest of Ghana.
The United States Embassy in Ghana also denied reports that the US government is planning to establish a military base in Ghana.
It said it is only planning joint security exercises with Ghana, which will require that US military personnel are allowed access to Ghana’s military facilities.
But the Minority had called on government to withdraw the agreement in its current form, saying it is not in the best interest of Ghana.
‘Ghanaians not ready to live with foreign troops’ – Rawlings
Former President Jerry John Rawlings, also waded into the controversy and said “Ghanaians may love Americans but not to the extent of living with [the] foreign troops,” he said.
Source: citifmonline.com
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Eiiii Ama Ghana hmmm where are we going? Our leaders should think of our future, this gvmt is driving our country Ghana to a wrong place, can't stop crying.
Three things that have made me changed my mind on 2020 Nana Addo and Npp's campaign to vote negative against them: 1.The thinking about Ghana at 60, a wasteful to the tax payers money, 2. selling or whatever bad agreement that hands over ECG to foreignness for good 25 years and who knows tomorrow if they decide to squeeze our hands or sabotage us in order to take it for good and 3. selling our sovereignty to the same US who have no permanent friends but permanent interest. yes" we've a shite hole government. What about Nana's statement on gay" very worrying".These are all negatives for the government.
Mr President be careful of what u wanna bring to the country oooo ...we didn't vote cuz of that ... Y... When The USA ppl were planning of these fins were u der ... To my knwldge I fink they want to come and rule us again. . and take our properties ... Plz we must fink small... Aaah y Gh. And Can any of the Ghanainan military go to US and do what they wanna come and do here. What's this...
DANGER IS HEADING TO GHANA, so that's why Akuffo-addo said he will help american to fight terrorism? whaaaaoooo! Pls can you ask the US ambassador if they can allow Ghana to form a Military base with unrestricted access, no security check, no tax paying, use our air waves free, import or export anything including our gold,timber,oil without security checks, no court in the land that can sue even if they kill citizens, driving without driving licence,etc...accept all their demands. I know that President Akufo-Addo is a dictator so he wants to rule with the help of america. Ask the defense minister, previous administrations did sign this bad deal in the past, so it should continue? Why, Is he blind that he cannot read the agreement, does it make sense. clearly,NPP has an agenda that is not clear to us. WHAT IS BAFFLING ME IS THAT THE POLITICIANS ALLOW THE AMERICANS TO TREAT US LIKE MONKEYS WHO DO NOT HAVE HEADS TO THINK....THIS WHOLE THING IS F00001ISHNESS,HAVE YOU HEARD THE US AMBASSADOR? HE THINK MONEY IS OUR PROBLEM, WHEN THEY GIVE US SMALL TOKEN, WE READY TO DO ANYTHING INCLUDING SELLING OUR CHILDREN TO AMERICA FOR FOOD. HEY! AFRICAN LEADERS!!! WHEN ARE WE GOING TO BE WISE????? VERY SAD!!! THE SAME AMERICA PROPOSED THE SAMETHING TO INDIA, AND THE PARLIAMENT THREW IT OUT IMMEDIATELY,BUT WE IN GHANA, JUST BECAUSE SMALL MONEY
TELL ALBINO MUSTAFA TO STOP CRYING THAT NDC IS LEAKING INFO TO THE MEDIA. THIS IS VITAL INFO FOR GHANAIAN AND BCOS OF POLITICS AND USD 20,000000 U AGREED TO TRUMP? HE SHOULD THANK GOD HE NO BOOK
Every Ghanaian has a right to know what is going on now because of its repercussions. Ghanaians should raise their voices in objection to this deal because its negative repercusions. Remember Ghana has been labeled a SH....LE country. This description was never recanted by the user!, and that is how he still sees us. The Ghana govt will forever be under the control of the US in certain areas.. Please people open your eyes, remember your children and their children!!
@ ‘Ghanaians not ready to live with foreign troops’ – Rawlings Former President Jerry John Rawlings, also waded into the controversy and said “Ghanaians may love Americans but not to the extent of living with [the] foreign troops,” he said. Where was Rawlings and NDC in 1998 and 2015
The POOR Ghana media id doing dis-service to us. It this thing NEW? Let us interrogate the issues professional with that nativity of the media and the propaganda from NDC. What happen in 1988 and 2015? The media should tell us. And what id happening now? Ghana is poor with a knowledgeable JOURNALISM