The United States government has revealed that the Presidential Candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, expressed “definite reservations” about the decision of the US to transfer of the two former Guantanamo Bay detainees to Ghana, when he was consulted on the issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cAkufo Addo was consulted and since I didn\u2019t consult him I don\u2019t want to mis-characterize his response; but we did both seek to inform and to solicit his views. He had reservations. He had very definite reservations\u201d the US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson revealed.<\/p>\n
According to him, the US government undertook 18 months of consultation with the government of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo and other stakeholders before transferring the two.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”RW1dzNqkjX8hkT6UoOrbVVnanB0LOnfF”]He explained that broad discussions surrounding the transfer of the two was geared towards allaying fears about their stay in the country.<\/p>\n
There has been a massive public uproar over a decision by government to host the two former detainees in the Ghana.<\/p>\n
But speaking at a press round-table meeting on Friday, Ambassador Jackson, who recently started his job in Ghana, reiterated that the former detainees pose no security threat to the country.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026 I believe that it is in everyone\u2019s interest to give them another opportunity to have a normal life and I believe that if anyone in this country should be concerned about their being here it is me; and I can tell you that I am not worried about my security based on their presence.\u201d<\/p>\n
He explained that it would have been senseless to send the detainees back to Afghanistan since they had not yet been integrated into that country.<\/p>\n
Ambassador Jackson explained that US government decided to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center because it \u201cprovides a propaganda tool for terrorist organisations.\u201d<\/p>\n
The government of Ghana joined 55 other governments in the world in accepting the ex-detainees from the detention center.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
By: Marian Ansah\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
\nFollow @EfeAnsah<\/a>
\n