Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Abakwa said either the Government is confused or “only engaged in pedestrian propaganda to throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”BRyUFVQhMfsnhVeB6dLb48Blit4SmkWl”]He thus said the Minority side of Parliament “will not move an inch out of their constituencies and come engage in this futile exercise presented by a government engaged in pedestrian propaganda.”

This was in response to the government saying the ratification of these old agreements is to ensure that there is a legal framework, guiding the collaboration of the US and Ghanaian armies, as it works to implement the controversial 2018 defence cooperation which was approved by Parliament after a Minority boycott.

Following the Supreme Court ruling that ordered the agreement to host the detainees from Guantanamo Bay on the behest of the US to Parliament for ratification, the government said the 1998 and 2015 agreements are essentially unlawful.

Explaining why the Minority would not honour a recall of Parliament, he argued that the government was being dishonest because when it presented the agreement to Parliament, it said it had no choice but to go into the 2018 deal because its hands were tied by the 1998 and 2015 deals signed under NDC governments.

This was in the heat of the public outcry against the deal which some fear will see a military base established in the country and compromise Ghana’s security and sovereignty.

Mr. Ablakwa also noted that the 2018 agreement was clear that the 2015 deal the government is seeking to ratify has expired.

“These are the government’s own communications to Parliament. So is the Minister of Information telling us that when they were putting together this memorandum, they didn’t know what they were talking about or are they telling us that they lied to Parliament?”

Waste of money

Mr. Ablakwa also pointed out that in Article 19(3) of the 2018 agreement presented to Parliament, it noted that it shall supersede the previous agreements.

Thus, recalling Parliament just to ratify the 1998 and 2015 agreements would be a waste of taxpayers’ money, the MP said.

“Your own agreement that you agreed with the United States… says that this agreement supersedes all other agreements so why are we coming to waste the taxpayer’s money? Why are you seeking to reconvene Parliament for us to come and engage in a needless exercise,” he questioned.

“I will be extremely surprised that the Right Honorable Speaker, a man I respect so much… lends himself to this pedestrian propaganda, if he reconvenes the House when you have ratified an agreement which [supersedes] all previous agreements.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Following the Supreme Court ruling that ordered the agreement to host the detainees from Guantanamo Bay on the behest of the US to Parliament for ratification, the government has said the 1998 and 2015 agreements are essentially unlawful.

“We intend to cure that defect by taking the 1998 and 2015 agreements to Parliament for Parliament to give us ratification so that we will continue to operate under these current arrangements that we have until we have completed the processes for triggering the 2018 arrangements,” the Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid, told Citi News.

He explained that the ratification of these old deals is to ensure that there is a legal framework, guiding the collaboration of the US and Ghanaian armies, as it works to implement the controversial 2018 defence cooperation.

Mr. Hamid said there are two steps towards making the agreement functional.

“First of all, the two countries have to exchange what the diplomats call a note verbal. It is these note verbals that will give effect to the agreement. Even beyond the note verbals, the two countries have to set up implementation committees that will guide the operation and implementation of this agreement.”

The current arrangement guiding the US-Ghana military relations is the 2015 agreement, and Mr. Hamid said “that is what we will continue to operate until we have finished processes for triggering the 2018 agreement.”

He noted that exercises are still being undertaken as part of the 2015 deal like the operation Obangame, a naval collaboration with Gulf of Guinea and West African nations to counter sea-based illicit activity.

“…In the next two or three months, there will be another joining exercises between the Ghana Army and the US Army. That also is being done under the 2015 agreements. We are actually really in danger of not having these exercises go.”

He this said “if it means doing that, we would have to recall Parliament… I think that is what we have to do so that whatever arrangements we have now with US Army is legalized whilst we wait for the coming into effect of the 2018 arrangement.”

2018 arrangement approved

Parliament last Friday approved the Ghana-US Military cooperation agreement, which seeks to give US forces access to some key national installations for their exclusive use.

The pact, which has sparked widespread controversy, was approved without the Minority in Parliament who were opposed to it.

Cabinet had agreed to provide the US’ military 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 last Tuesday recommending to Parliament to ratify the agreement, but it was rejected by the opposition.

With the agreement ratified, it means that the US army will among other things be exempted from paying taxes on equipment that are brought to Ghana as well as use Ghana’s radio spectrum for free.

The troops and their equipment will also have unhindered access to the US forces and their equipment.

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 Government has consistently explained that it was only respecting the existing Status of Forces Agreement with the US signed since 1998 and reviewed in 2015, under the previous NDC administration.

–

By: Sammi Wiafe & Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Parliament on Friday night ratified the deal, which gives the US military unrestrained access to some key state installations and a free radio spectrum, among other things. The Minority Members of Parliament however walked out of the debate.

[contextly_sidebar id=”08rsRYHUjzpGpqixFGittVe2WJZ0AZGs”]Speaking on The Big Issue, Captain Budu Koomson noted that the Ghanaian legislators failed to critically assess the details of the agreement on the floor of Parliament but rather resorted to emotional outbursts.

“I am saddened with the whole tenure of the discussion in the sense that we have lost a golden opportunity to have discussed this thing properly and improve it for whatever it is, close the gaps, tighten it to our mutual benefit. We have lost a golden opportunity. The story broke and we were already in damage control mood. We were already in firefighting mode and a lot of us who were talking about this really did not have the facts available.”

“We were fed the story from some lenses and we are now trying to peel off the lenses so by the time it got to Parliament where it should have been given proper, detailed, constructive discussion, we had lost. The fronts had been so hardened; the situation had been so polarized. We were not looking at the paper, we were shouting at each other.”

Discussion at IPAC level 

Ex-captain Joel Sowu, another panelist on the show, argued that agreement should have been discussed at the IPAC level for the buy-in of all political parties before it was brought before Parliament for ratification.

“The document ought to have been discussed at an IPAC meeting so all the political parties would have bought into it before it gets to Parliament.”

Approval of agreement

Parliament on Friday night approved the controversial agreement without minority members.

It appeared the House was bent on getting the agreement through before it rises for recess.

“This House adopts the report from the joint committee on defense and interior,” the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye said after the approval.

Prior to staging the walkout, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, spoke for close to 17 minutes giving a litany of reasons why they believe the agreement should not be ratified by Parliament.

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 to Parliament to ratify the agreement, but it was rejected by the opposition in Parliament.

With the agreement ratified, it means that the US troops will among other things be exempted from paying taxes on equipment that are brought to Ghana as well as use Ghana’s radio spectrum for free.

The troops and their equipment will also have unhindered access to the US forces and their equipment.

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 Government has consistently explained that it was only respecting the existing Status of Forces Agreement with the US signed since 1998 and reviewed in 2015, under the previous NDC administration.

But the NDC Minority has downplayed this argument saying the agreement as existed in the past, did not have the same clauses like the current one that gives the US unlimited access to Ghana’s military facilities.

The US Embassy in Ghana has also explained that it is only planning joint security exercises with Ghana, which will require that US military personnel are allowed access to Ghana’s military facilities, and that they are not building a military base.

“The current Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the United States of America and the Republic of Ghana is approximately 20 years old. It does not cover the current range and volume of bilateral exercises and assistance. This year, the United States of America is investing over $20 million in training and equipment for the Ghanaian armed forces. Ghana is also once again preparing to train U.S forces – as it did in 2017. The United States and Ghana are planning joint security exercises in 2018, which require access to Ghanaian bases by US participants and those from other nationals when included,” a statement from the US Embassy said.

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By: Marian Ansah/ citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The approval was done by only Majority Members of Parliament because the Minority staged a walkout during the debate on the Floor of the House.

[contextly_sidebar id=”jlkgpCU1oFW2RiEJ43AFDu2SbS6Ob6Ll”]It appears the House was bent on getting the agreement through before it rises for recess.

“This House adopts the report from the joint committee on defense and interior,” the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye said after the approval.

Prior to staging the walkout, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, spoke for close to 17 minutes giving a litany of reasons why they believe the agreement should not be ratified by Parliament.

Cabinet approves MoU

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 before Parliament on Tuesday recommending to Parliament to ratify the agreement, but it was rejected by the opposition in Parliament.

With the agreement ratified, it means that the US troops will among other things be exempted from paying taxes on equipment that are brought to Ghana as well as use Ghana’s radio spectrum for free.

The troops and their equipment will also have unhindered access to the US forces and their equipment.

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 Government has consistently explained that it was only respecting the existing Status of Forces Agreement with the US signed since 1998 and reviewed in 2015, under the previous NDC administration.

But the NDC Minority has downplayed this argument saying the agreement as existed in the past, did not have the same clauses like the current one that gives the US unlimited access to Ghana’s military facilities.

The US Embassy in Ghana has also explained that it is only planning joint security exercises with Ghana, which will require that US military personnel are allowed access to Ghana’s military facilities, and that they are not building a military base.

“The current Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the United States of America and the Republic of Ghana is approximately 20 years old. It does not cover the current range and volume of bilateral exercises and assistance. This year, the United States of America is investing over $20 million in training and equipment for the Ghanaian armed forces. Ghana is also once again preparing to train U.S forces – as it did in 2017. The United States and Ghana are planning joint security exercises in 2018, which require access to Ghanaian bases by US participants and those from other nationals when included,” a statement from the US Embassy said.

Minority blocks report

The Minority on Thursday 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.

It was however laid today, Friday, March 23, 2018, and subsequently approved late hours on the same day.

‘Protests today, expect more Wednesday’

Earlier today [Friday], a number of protesters who tried to gain access to Parliament to kick against the anticipated approval of the deal were prevented from entering the House.

The main entrance of the House was shut with strict access checks being conducted for members of the public and workers seeking to enter.

The protesters however chanted slogans and songs outside the House.

The leader of the protesters, a suspended CPP executive member, Ernesto Yeboah, who was dissatisfied with Parliament’s decision, said they posed no threat to the security of the House.

“Are we holding guns? So on what basis are we disallowed from entering Parliament to have a sight of the proceedings in Parliament? They have absolutely no basis to restrain us from entering to have a sight of the proceedings. We are going to enter, we are going to sit down, we are going to observe the rules of Parliament.

Hosting US soldiers will trigger terror attacks – NDC

The NDC at a news conference on Thursday, said Ghana could become a target for extremists if the agreement was allowed to go through.

The General Secretary of the party, Asiedu Nketia, who said this indicated that a ratification of the agreement will send wrong signals which could subsequently make Ghana vulnerable to attacks.

‘We’ll review deal in 2021’

He indicated that, the deal, if ratified by Parliament, will be suspended and reviewed by the NDC if it returns to office in 2021.

“We wish to state here and now that if President Akufo-Addo and his NPP administration proceed to ratify the agreement despite protests and public sentiments, the NDC administration which will assume the reins of government in 2021, will suspend the agreement and initiate a far reaching review.”

‘You can’t compare ‘military base’ deal to Gitmo 2′ – Ablakwa

Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, had said that the previous John Mahama administration’s handling of the hosting of the two Ex-Guantanamo Bay detainees in Ghana, cannot be compared the current government’s handling of the proposed US military camp in the country.

This is in spite of the fact that the Supreme Court declared that agreement illegal because it wasn’t approved by Parliament.

Some Ghanaians had questioned the Minority’s moral right to take on government seeing the controversy that surrounded the hosting of the ex-Gitmo two who have now become a burden for the government.

But speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Ablakwa refuted these claims, insisting that unlike this current deal, the previous government consulted key stakeholders, including political party leaders before sealing the Gitmo two agreement.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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The Information Minister, earlier this week, suggested that that the Minority in parliament were behind the leak of the document.

While denying responsibility, the Minority described the Information Minister as being ignorant of the workings of Parliament.

The Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues said members of the Minority only got their hands on the report after it was leaked to the public.

He also intimated that it was no big deal that it was leaked since it was going to be a public document anyways.

“Three hours after it had been laid, I called the clerk at the table asking why we still don’t have copies in our pigeon hole? I was the first [member of the Minority] to be given a copy on Tuesday. By Monday, were we not already having this document?”

“If those documents were not meant for the public, they know the procedure to use. But it was laid and distributed in the pigeon holes. So how can you be saying leaks? Meanwhile, this thing was in the media on Monday. The document came to Parliament on Tuesday. So on what basis are you trying to shift attention and say the Minority has done this and that?”

The Minister of Defense, 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.

If approved, 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 and be allowed to use Ghana’s radio spectrum free of charge.

Protest from Minority

The Minority has kicked against this agreement, calling on the government to withdraw the agreement saying it is not in the best interest of Ghana.

The Minority on Thursday blocked the laying before Parliament, the report of the Joint Committee on Defence and Interior and Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, on the agreement.

In a brief protest between the two sides in Parliament on 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.

The Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye subsequently ruled that the laying of the report should be skipped until the two sides could come to a consensus on it.

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By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Security personnel in Parliament say the protesters have no clearance from the authorities to embark on such an exercise.

[contextly_sidebar id=”4SfaRGNoMCBLy2BhRgWbTf42pxHZCsCj”]The main entrance of the House, has thus been shut with strict access checks being conducted for members of the public and workers seeking to enter.

The protesters are however chanting slogans and songs despite being prevented from entering.

The leader of the protesters, suspended CPP executive member Ernesto Yeboah, who was dissatisfied with Parliament’s decision, said they pose no threat to the security of the House.

“Are we holding guns? So on what basis are we disallowed from entering Parliament to have a sight of the proceedings in Parliament? They have absolutely no basis to restrain us from entering to have a sight of the proceedings. We are going to enter, we are going to sit down, we are going to observe the rules of Parliament.

“Indeed, we have told all Ghanaians that there is no threat. There is no danger. That nobody should be afraid. The reason you can call yourself a Ghanaian is because of that sovereignty. Today that sovereignty is under threat and that is exactly why we are mobilizing the people in resistance. We are telling the people that the power you have, came from us.”

NDC leaders storm Parliament

NDC leaders storm Parliament; Minority in red over ‘military base’ debate

Meanwhile, top leaders of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), also stormed Parliament following reports that the House will debate the agreement seeking ratification to host a US military camp in Ghana.

The Minority Members of Parliament who have expressed their disapproval of the agreement are also clad in red armbands and headbands.

“The Minority MPs are either in red armbands or red headbands,” Citi News correspondent, Duke Mensah Opoku reported.

General Secretary of NDC and his deputy, Johnson Asiedu Nketia and Koku Anyidoho, NDC National Vice Chairperson, Anita Desoso among other party leaders, are currently in the public gallery of Parliament to throw their weight behind the minority MPs.

Also present is the founder and leader of the All People’s Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga.

Background

The Minister of Defense, 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.

If approved, 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, government had defended it and said the agreement is in the best interest of Ghana.

But the Minority has called on government to withdraw the agreement in its current form, saying it is not in the best interest of Ghana.

Minority blocks c’ttee report on US ‘military camp’

The Minority in Parliament on Thursday blocked the laying before Parliament, the report of the Joint Committee on Defence and Interior and Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, on the agreement.

In a brief protest between the two sides in Parliament on 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.

The Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye 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,” Prof. Oquaye said.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

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The Minority Members of Parliament who have expressed their disapproval of the agreement are also clad in red armbands and headbands.

“The minority MPs are either in red armbands or red headbands,” Citi News correspondent, Duke Mensah Opoku reported.

General Secretary of NDC and his deputy, Johnson Asiedu Nketia and Koku Anyidoho, NDC National Vice Chairperson, Anita Desoso among other party leaders, are currently in the public gallery of Parliament to throw their weight behind the minority MPs.

Also present is the founder and leader of the All People’s Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga.

The Minister of Defense, 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.

If approved, 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, government had defended it and said the agreement is in the best interest of Ghana.

But the Minority has called on government to withdraw the agreement in its current form, saying it is not in the best interest of Ghana.

The Minority in Parliament on Thursday blocked the laying before Parliament, the report of the Joint Committee on Defence and Interior and Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, on the agreement.

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.

The Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye 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,” Prof. Oquaye said.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonile.com
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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.

[contextly_sidebar id=”5C8mqBiOVbotBaxwCipz5AVnOTiFRs9I”]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.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey & Duke M. Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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According to the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrissu, the state of healthcare in the country requires adequate financing, and as such the Health Insurance Fund must not suffer a reduction.

[contextly_sidebar id=”BIwtmiqiSXscJYLjp7wQcm878dpmFhHR”]The Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Act passed in 2017, stipulates that all allocations to the eight statutory funds must not exceed 25 percent of all government revenue.

But the Minority believes this must change, especially for the health sector.

Speaking ahead of the approval of over GHc2.3 billion Ghana cedis for the National Health Insurance Authority for 2018, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, said “if the Ministry of Finance wants to cap [funds], cap other areas. You can cap the Common Fund. You can cap the GETFund as you have done. But for health insurance, no.”

“Many of these allocations are for IT infrastructure. Every year, we are dedicating money for IT infrastructure and its improvement. We need to see a stop,” he added.

Justification of Capping

When the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Act was passed in March 2017, it was met with some criticism from the minority.

At the time, the Deputy Minority Leader, James Avedzi, argued that the move will affect the operations of local assemblies with the reduction in allocations from 7.5 to 5 percent.

But the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, maintained that the decision was necessary to ensure the government had more fiscal space to undertake other key economic policies outlined in the budget.

This stance was supported by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), which had been a strong critic of the allocation to the statutory or earmarked funds.

The IFS argued that the allocations has made it difficult for government to carry out some critical expenditure due to the unavailability of the needed funds.

There are currently eight earmarked statutory funds namely; the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), Petroleum-Related Funds, Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), the Social Security and National Insurance Trust, and the Road Fund.

The previous government varied its allocation to the eight earmarked funds year-on-year.

In its last year in 2016, it allocated about 33 percent of the government’s revenue to the earmarked funds.

–

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Dr. Apaak is of the view that the agreement needlessly opens Ghana up to the risk of terror attacks.

[contextly_sidebar id=”jxL3OJsTHswR7vP5EfQCtpw6u8tlwOOI”]“They should come clean. We will not sit by and let them mortgage our future, our security and our role as a leading light in the nonaligned movement,” he told some journalists in Parliament.

He however said the people of Ghana could count on the Minority in Parliament to be transparent in deliberations on the argument.

“We will scrutinize it [the agreement]. We will carry the good people of Ghana along. We will let them understand the implications of what this government is trying to commit us to because what we do today will have implications for future generations and we the members of Parliament of today should not make that mistake of mortgaging our sovereignty and our future and exposing ourselves as an easy target for extremist groups.”

He also questioned what Ghana stood to gain by entering into the agreement.

“There is no reason why we should be entering into this type of agreement when we have nothing to show for it. Those of you who have seen the leaked copy, tell me what section in that agreement benefits the good people of this country? Have you seen any? It doesn’t exist. What is their motivation? We want to find out.”

Cabinet approved the Memorandum of Understanding on March 8, 2018, and recommended that Parliament ratify the agreement to allow the US forces and their equipment unhindered access in Ghana.

Details of agreement

Per the agreement, the US military is, among other things, to be exempted from paying tax on the equipment to be brought into 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.

The document supposedly sent to Parliament by the Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, had an introductory letter signed by Cabinet’s Secretary, Mercy Debrah-Karikari.

US forces and their contractors will be allowed to undertake construction activities to make alterations and improvements to agreed facilities and areas.

They are also authorized to control entry to the facilities meant for the exclusive use of their forces.

Ghana will also furnish without rental or similar costs to the united states all agreed facilities and areas including those jointly used by the United States Forces and Ghana.

No military base

It is unclear what the full extent of the US’ operations will be, but Dominic Nitiwul, the Defense Minister, has said that the US government was not building a military base in Ghana.

“It’s not a military base. We don’t even have enough space in the agreed area for them to put up big structures. It’s just around the airport area,” he stated.

According to Nitiwul, it is only a facility to camp US soldiers in the country saying “they will not be stationed here.”

Gitmo 2 row

This comes on the back of the camping of two former Guantanamo Bay detainees, Umar Bin Atef and Khalid Al-Dhuby in Ghana; a decision taken by the previous Mahama administration that was widely criticized  by individuals and groups including the then New Patriotic Party [NPP] in opposition.

Although the agreement for hosting the two elapsed on January 6, 2018, it later emerged that the former detainees have been given refugee status.

The US government subsequently said they ceased taking responsibility for the two after the agreement ended.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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