The Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Parliament have served notice they will oppose the 2015 Defence Cooperation Agreement signed by their own government with the US.
Information Minister, Mustapha Abdul Hamid has indicated that MPs are likely to be recalled from recess as government takes the Military Cooperation Agreement Ghana entered into with the United States in 2015 to Parliament for ratification.
This comes after the Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul disclosed that Ghana did not have a copy of the 2015 military agreement.
The 2015 agreement was signed by former Foreign Affairs Minister Hanna Tetteh.
But the Minority Chief whip Muntaka Mubarak has stated that the Minority will not change its stance on the deal.
He however criticized Hon. Hannah Tetteh for the manner in which she handled the 2015 agreement.
“When Hannah Tetteh was going to sign it who did she involve, she didn’t involve Parliament so why are you saying you, call the individual that signed it. The person did not sign it with my mandate, regardless of which ever government it is, those articles that are inimical to our country we shall oppose it regardless of who’s bringing it. If you bring this one in the same cast, believe it we’re going to oppose it,” Hon. Muntaka told Joy FM.
On Friday, March 23, a one-sided parliament ratified the 2018 controversial defence cooperation agreement between Ghana and the US.
It comes after the Minority side stormed out of the Law Chamber Friday evening, leaving the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs to rubberstamp the pact late in the night before Parliament rose for recess.
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 greenlight.
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.
Meanwhile, Pressure group, Economic Freedom Fighters, has called on Ghanaians to rise up and reject in unison the 2018 military agreement Ghana has just signed with the United States of America.
Addressing the press conference, the leader the group Ernesto Yeboah urged Ghanaians to pour out onto the streets in protest of what he termed neocolonialism.
“Power and authority resides in [us] the people. The sovereignty of this country exists because of us,” he said, adding: “We have called on the people that power resides in their hands [and] that they should rise up.”