Ghana’s Parliament approved to provide the US’ military troop a place

The Parliament of Ghana on Friday night, March 23, 2018, approved to provide the US’ military troop a place near the Kotoka International Airport in Accra. The controversial Ghana-US defense cooperation agreement which seeks to provide the United States access in Ghana to camp its military forces.

The approval was done by only Majority Members of Parliament because the Minority staged a walkout during the debate on the Floor of the House.

The MoU was laid before Parliament on Tuesday recommending to Parliament to ratify the agreement, but it was rejected by the opposition in Parliament.

With the agreement ratified, it means that the US troops will among other things be exempted from paying taxes on equipment that are brought to Ghana as well as use Ghana’s radio spectrum for free.

The troops and their equipment will also have unhindered access to the US forces and their equipment.

Although many Ghanaians have expressed resentment over the clauses of the agreement, the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, said the agreement is in the best interest of Ghana.

It was however laid today, Friday, March 23, 2018, and subsequently approved late hours on the same day.

The Minority on Thursday blocked the laying before Parliament, the report of the Joint Committee on Defence and Interior and Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, on the agreement seeking to ratify the hosting of  US military troops in Ghana.

Earlier today, a number of protesters who tried to gain access to Parliament to kick against the anticipated approval of the deal were prevented from entering the House.

The main entrance of the House was shut with strict access checks being conducted for members of the public and workers seeking to enter.

The protesters however chanted slogans and songs outside the House according to citifmonline reports.

The leader of the protesters, a suspended CPP executive member, Ernesto Yeboah, who was dissatisfied with Parliament’s decision, said they posed no threat to the security of the House.

“Are we holding guns? So on what basis are we disallowed from entering Parliament to have a sight of the proceedings in Parliament? They have absolutely no basis to restrain us from entering to have a sight of the proceedings. We are going to enter, we are going to sit down, we are going to observe the rules of Parliament.