General News of Monday, 26 March 2018
Source: kasapafmonline.com
2018-03-26
According to the Clergy, they will speak on the issue at the appropriate time
The Clergy has appealed to the populace to be patient with them in the face of widespread criticism of what some see to be the clergy’s loud silence on the recently ratified US-Ghana Military pact.
Their appeal follows a scathing attack on them by the National Chairman of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) Bernard Mornah who expressed disappointment in the clergy for remaining silent on such controversial national issues that he claims will have dire consequences on Ghana.
“When we had the agreement for GITMO 2, this country almost came to its knees. I recall the Christian Council issuing statements, I recall the Catholic Bishop Conference issuing a statement, I recall almost every religious house on Sunday, they were shouting everywhere talking about two Yemenis that were released by the American who were coming to Ghana.
Today we will not even know the number of Americans who’ll come here, we’ll not know whether they are bringing bombs, we’ll not know they’re bringing gays or lesbians, we’ll not even know who has come in and who has gone out. We’ll risk that Americans can come into our country, commit a crime and go back without us knowing.”
However in a response the Rector of the Pentecost University College, Apostle Dr Daniel Walker said the Clergy will speak to the matter when the time right right.
“I think it’s early days yet, I’m sure they’ll come out at the appropriate time. Let’s not forget that we live in an international community therefore we can’t live in isolation, we help each other. As to whether the agreement is right or wrong, that’s another thing. The debate will continue and we’ll see the outcome by praying that every decision we take as a country should be to the benefit of our people. We have one country and I think that our sovereignty is crucial when we comes to such matters. Any decision that government takes they should put the will of the people first, the comfort and peace of the country as a priority. I believe at the appropriate time the Christian Council or whoever is responsible will come out,” he told Starr News.
A one-sided Parliament on Friday night ratified the controversial defence cooperation agreement between Ghana and the US.
The Minority side stormed out of the Law Chamber leaving the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs to ratify the pact before Parliament rose for recess.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs staged the walk after the caucus leader, Haruna Iddrisu stated his side’s reservations over the agreement known on the floor.
The agreement was brought before the House for consideration and ratification after the joint-committee on Defence and Interior, Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of Parliament gave it a green light.
This is despite massive public protest against the deal which many including the largest opposition described as “dangerous” and a sale of Ghana’s sovereignty.
The Government of Ghana, according to a leaked document, has approved the agreement with the US to set up a military base in Ghana and also allow unrestricted access to a host of facilities and wide-ranging tax exemptions to the United States Military—a claim the government of Ghana and the US denied.