The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), has reiterated its position that its flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, was not consulted about government’s decision to accept the transfer of the two ex Guantanamo detainees in the country.
This comes after reports quoting the US Ambassador to Ghana as saying that Nana Addo expressed ‘definite reservations’ about the decision of the US to transfer the ex-detainees.
According to the ambassador, the US undertook 18 months of consultation with the government of Ghana, and other stakeholders, which includes Nana Akufo Addo before transferring the two.
The NPP has however debunked this assertion in a statement signed by its Press Secretary, Eugene Arhin, saying that at no point was Nana Addo consulted.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we would like to reiterate our earlier stated position that at no point during the transaction between the two governments was Nana Akufo-Addo consulted, and the facts of the matter speak clearly for themselves,” the statement said.
The NPP explained in the statement that, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Ghana, Melinda Tabler-Stone, “called on Nana Akufo-Addo at his Nima residence to inform him, with the consent of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, about the impending arrival into the country of the two ex-Guantanamo Bay detainees…as a result of discussions between the US and Ghana governments.”
“It would appear that at the time Melinda Tabler-Stone spoke to Nana Akufo-Addo, the two Gitmo detainees were either on their way to Ghana or had arrived in the country.”
The NPP therefore states that neither the Ghanaian government nor the US government, consulted Nana Addo.
“It would be an unusual use of English, in these circumstances, to suggest that Nana Akufo-Addo was consulted. At best, what can be said is that, he was informed of the transaction as it was being implemented, in other words, he was presented with a fait accompli, not a consultation.”
–
By: Jeffrey Owuraku Sarpong/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @ojsarpong