Daughter of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Samia Yaaba Nkrumah, is calling on Members of Parliament to reject the supposed military base in Ghana Kwame Nkrumah tells us in Africa Must Unite (1963) that “if we do not unite and combine our military resources for common defence, our individual [African] States, out of a sense of insecurity, may be drawn into making defence pacts with foreign powers which may endanger the security of us all,” Samia posted on her facebook page Tuesday. 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." Meanwhile the US Embassy in Ghana has debunked claims that, it is establishing a military base in Ghana. “The United States has not requested, nor does it plan to establish a military base or bases in Ghana,” it said in a statement. The statement further said: “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 $20million 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 U.S participants and those from other nations when included. We refer all questions to the government of Ghana.”

Animal-Watching Clergy Hypocritical – Mahama

Former President John Mahama has criticised the clergy and civil society groups in Ghana for what he says is their silence over the “nepotism” in the Akufo-Addo government.

According to him, recognisable voices in the country are now turning deaf ears to issues that were treated as front burner under his administration.

Addressing some NDC supporters in the UK, Mr. Mahama said he is surprised at the way the media and other prominent individuals are tolerating the level of cronyism under the NPP administration.

“I never ever thought that Ghanaians will tolerate the level of nepotism in the government we see today, it’s terrible, I never ever thought. In our case one of our own said I was running a family and friends government and NPP took it up, when I had no blood relation of mine in government except for some lonely deputy minister, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, my aunt’s daughter. She was the only blood relation in my government and yet they said family and friends and when you ask where are they, they say ooo, but your own person said it.

“Now today look at it, that’s the new standard and yet civil society is quiet, religious and traditional leaders are quiet. When NDC comes the next time and Alabi or Bagbin or who is the President and they appoint their relatives into government are they now coming to come out and say it? Must the standards of measuring standards differ because of who is in the presidency? That is the hypocrisy of our politics, that’s the height of hypocrisy we have in Ghana,” Mahama told the NDC gathering in the United Kingdom where the party is on a rebuilding tour.

He continued: “Something is pardonable when one government is in power but when another is in power it’s unpardonable, things that the media would have been so loud about under my administration, it happens every day and it’s like it’s business as usual. That is the hypocrisy of our civil society and religious and traditional leaders, everybody is quiet, suddenly some say they don’t watch TV anymore and that they watch animals.




“In our time they were not watching animals, they were watching political discussions. You’re now tired of too much politics…you’ll be tired, because your darling government is super incompetent and so you’re tired of hearing the analysis, that’s the hypocrisy we face in our country. So let us not buy into their propaganda”.

The founder of the  International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) Dr. Mensa Otabil on the event of the church’s 34th-anniversary service on Sunday 4th March said he would rather watch animal kingdom than follow media discussions in Ghana.

“I will watch animals. I’ll watch cheetah, I’ll watch lion, I’ll watch antelope anytime… I’ll watch giraffes anytime because at least they’ll tell me how to hunt, how to get to your goal, how to avoid being eaten. I’ll learn that from an antelope. At least I’d come back and say: nobody will eat me. But you listen to Ghanaian radio, watch Ghanaian TV and you wonder; are we still here, the mediocrity?”.

 

 

Source: Starrfmonline.com



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