General News of Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Source: atinkaonline.com
2018-03-21
Irbard Ibrahim with Robert Jackson, American Ambassador to Ghana
Security analyst, Irbard Ibrahim, says the establishment of a US Military base in Ghana poses no security threat.
“It is just difficult to say no to the United States and I wish Ghanaians will bear with H.E Nana Addo on this one just as they bore with H.E. Dramani Mahama on Gitmo2,” he said.
Cabinet has approved an agreement, giving unrestricted access to several Ghanaian facilities and wide-ranging tax exemptions to the United States Military.
The agreement, which was laid before Parliament Tuesday also states: “United States Contractors shall not be liable to pay tax or similar charge assess within Ghana in connection with this agreement”.
Many Ghanaians have condemned the move, saying such a military cooperation exposes Ghana to terrorism.
However, laying the draft proposal before Parliament Tuesday, Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul said , “The Draft Agreement was variously reviewed by the Attorney General’s (AG’s) Department. Other State Agencies, namely; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (MOF ARI), Ministry of Finance (MOF), Attorney-General’s Department, Ministry of the Interior (Mal), National Security and the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), made inputs into the Graft Agreement in order to ensure that it reflected the true interest of the country, during its preparation.”
Ibrahim Irbard in a statement, backed the move, saying “Just like Gitmo 2, setting up a US military base in Ghana does not pose too serious an existential threat to our security.
He, therefore, urged Parliament to dispassionately consider the pros and cons of this decision and eventually “vote Ghana” on the floor of the House rather than NPP or NDC”
Below is the full statement:
PRESS BRIEF
A US BASE IN GHANA WILL NOT BRING THE WORLD TO AN ABRUPT END – Ibrahim Irbard
“Just like Gitmo 2, setting up a US military base in Ghana does not pose too serious an existential threat to our security. It is often said that all nations are equal. But in the current Unipolar World Order, some nations are just “more equal” than others. I stuck my neck out and swam against the tide on the issue of the Gitmo2. I think this foreign policy decision we have on our hands now does not stink and is not as repugnant as it looks at first sight.
We have no option but to bite the bullet. It is just difficult to say no to the United States and I wish Ghanaians will bear with H.E Nana Addo on this one just as they bore with H.E. Dramani Mahama on Gitmo2.
His Excellency Kufuor was able to reject a similar overture in the mid-2000s to the admiration of many. But the security dynamics in Africa have changed completely now – there was no Boko Haram as a lethal fighting force in the sub-region at that time; Al Shaban didn’t exist in Africa in its current form, there was no JNIM etc.
Much as I call for upholding Africa’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the security exigencies of our time call for extraordinary measures and increased coordination and collaboration with our foreign partners.
I courteously and humbly urge Parliament to dispassionately consider the pros and cons of this decision and eventually “vote Ghana” on the floor of the House rather than NPP or NDC”.
Irbard Ibrahim