The Minority in Parliament has hinted that they will not waste their judicious time to come to Parliament if the Speaker recalls the house to ratify the 1998 and 2015 past Ghana-US agreements.
The reaction from the Minority is anchored on a comment made the Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid saying, the government intends to trigger a recall of Parliament to ratify the 1998 and the 2015 defence cooperation agreements the country signed with the US under different National Democratic Congress administrations.
Mustapha Hamid explained that 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.
But, the Minority in Parliament says, it will be surprising if the Speaker of Parliament attempts to recall the house from recess because there have been several opportunities the incumbent NPP government could have sent the 1998 Ghana-US agreement signed under Ex-President Rawlings to Parliament for ratification after winning power in 2001.
Speaking in an interview on an Accra Based radio station Citi FM, Minority MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa quizzed that, “Why is the Minister [Mustapha Hamid] talking about recalling Parliament to engage in this needless and futile exerciseâ€
He added that listening to the Information Minister, the Gov't is either confused or is engaging in propaganda.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa argued that the NPP Gov't before the NPP Majority in Parliament approved the Ghana-US deal on March 24, 2018, said it had to go into the 2018 deal because their hands were tied by the 1998 and 2015 deals. Therefore the government’s current stance that the 1998 and 2015 deals aren't binding because they weren't ratified by Parliament is just borne out of "Pedestrian propaganda".
Minority in Parliament storms out house over defence deal
The Minority in Parliament on Friday Night March 24, 2018, staged a walkout from Parliament over the Ghana-US defence cooperation agreement presently before the House Friday for consideration and ratification.
This was after the Leader of the Minority in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu made his side’s objections over the agreement 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.
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