A former Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah has suggested that there is more to the Ghana-US military deal than has been presented to public.
The well-versed Brigadier General hinted that though government has said a lot to defuse the notion that the US by this deal will be setting up a military base in Ghana, there is much more to the deal which hasn't been exposed.
On Thursday President Akufo-Addo addressed the nation in his first public utterance on the issue in an attempt to clear the air on matters arising from the deal since it was made public.
He dispelled the notion that our sovereignty has been sold by this deal, insisting that Ghana will never allow the US set up a base in the country for as long as he remained president reiterating his commitment to put the interest of the country first at all times.
Despite the President's address, Nunoo-Mensah, clearly dissatisfied with assurances given disclosed that should the agreement go through in its current form, it may change the country's destiny.
"We are living peacefully with our hunger and whatnot, let's resolve that. To bring these people here, I know that it is going to be much more than just what we are being told. The agreement is much more than just they are not going to have a base here. It is more than that and I can see our destiny not being the same" Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah said.
He said Akufo-Addo and his government could have done better negotiating the agreement by doing broader consultations.
He accused the government of rushing it through parliament and sidestepping experienced people like himself who are highly knowledgeable in such matters.
Citing examples from the Middle East and Africa, Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah explained that this deal could make or unmake Ghana as such there is no need to rush it through.
"Don't rush this thing. This thing can make or unmake Ghana, I am telling you, can make or unmake Ghana. Look at the Middle East what happened to Iraq, Syria, Lybia they are all in chaos yet we thought people like Saddam Hussein, Gadafi were menace, after they have gone those countries, some of them are finished forever" he stressed
Ghana is expected to benefit about $20 million that will be invested in military training and equipment from the deal but Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah described that as 'funny thing'.
The US he stated are protecting their interest, which is Ghana's oil, with this deal but according to the former Chief of Defense Staff Ghana has nothing to gain as nothing in the agreement represents the interest of the nation.
"We are a small country with our own interest, what I am looking for when I have a mutual agreement like this one, Americans know why they want to come here, for our petroleum. We shouldn't be serving their interest, we should be serving our own interest. So I was looking through the agreement, where will Ghana's interest be served, what's Ghana going to benefit? They say they will give us some $20 million or some funny thing like that" he fumed
The defense cooperation with the US ratified by parliament in March 2018 is an enhanced deal from the 2015 agreement between Ghana and US.
Source: Ghanaweb.com
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SIR,I RESPECTED YOU WHEN YOU WERE MY INSTRUCTOR AT GMA AND SUBSEQUENTLY YOUR MERITORIOUS SERVICE ALSO WAS AN INSPIRATION!!! BUT PLEASE STAY OUT OF THIS SO THAT I DONT INCLUDE YOU AMONG THE ***barred word*** NOISE-MAKERS WHO ARE HELL-BENT ON STAGING A CIVILIAN COUP D'ETAT!!! IF YOU DECIDE TO REMAIN A PART OF THIS DESPICABLE CONSPIRACY OT THIS BUNCH OF POLITICAL MISCHIEF-MAKERS AND NATION-WRECKERS THEN YOU WILL BE TREATED WITH CONTEMPT LIKE THEM!!! HOW MUCH HAS MAHAMA, THE CHIEF PUPPET-MASTER, OFFERED YOU TO SPEAK THIS RIGMAROLE??? DONT LOWER FURTHER YOUR ALREADY TATTERED IMAGE OF AN OFFICER AND GENTLEMAN!!!!
I thought General Nunoo-Mensah, with his military background, would shed more informed light on this issue. But, as usual, these socialists will never have objective opinion on anything Western! To talk of petroleum in this issue leaves much to be desired. When the first pact was sighed in 1992, was there any hope of Ghana producing oil in the foreseeable future? We are aware that your two reigns as CDS was in the AFRC and PNDC military juantas led by you socialists and so your security understanding is only of Eastern interest. You were silent when Mahama, his brother and wife were grabbing state and stool lands in Accra but you, Rawlings and other generals were quick to jump on Kufuor's neck in 2008 that he was taking Accra lands. At least, that was not an issue of security concern so you could choose to be bias. What is it that you know about this current deal that you are not telling Ghanaians? I thought as a security person you would know better that speculation and guess-works have no place in security matters. You had better advised the noise makers and press conference MPs to defend your view in parliament but not to wait for the rain to stop before going to harvest rain water. Considering the timing, supposing you had any important point, of what use will it be now? Please next time make sure you have a message of import before you wade into any public discussion, but not to hide behind the title of Brigadier-General, since that title will not add any validity to your point.
NDC can't read and if they read, they don't understand.
is in this agreement that is beneficial to ghana, only the 20 million dollars???? what is wrong with people who suppot this agreement, are they ok in their heads??? or do they something secret that we don't know, tell us! because right thinking Ghananaina will never support this s2upid thing they called agreement, that's manipulation and dictatorship... THIS AGREEMENT WILLLLLL NEVER! GO THROUGH, AKUFO ADDO CANNOT IMPOSE HIS S2TUPID AND SELFISH WILL ON US, WE PUT HIM THERE, HE DID NOT PUT HIMSELF THERE, SO HE MUST LISTEN TO US ELSE HE WILL MEET WITH FIRE!!!!
is in this agreement that is beneficial to ghana, only the 20 million dollars???? what is wrong with people who suppot this agreement, are they ok in their heads??? or do they something secret that we don't know, tell us! because right thinking Ghananaina will never support this s2upid thing they called agreement, that's manipulation and dictatorship... THIS AGREEMENT WILLLLLL NEVER! GO THROUGH, AKUFO ADDO CANNOT IMPOSE HIS S2UPID AND SELFISH WILL ON US, WE PUT HIM THERE, HE DID NOT PUT HIMSELF THERE, SO HE MUST LISTEN TO US ELSE HE WILL MEET WITH FIRE!!!!
NPP SUPPORTERS ARE JUST BUNCH OF F 0 0 L S THEY DONT KNOW ANYTHING, NPP SUPPORTERS JUST CANNOT ANALIYSE ANY ISSUE ON THEIR OWN UNLESS THEIR MORONS LIES TO THEM WHY
That is an interesting view by the Brigadier. But Sir, you have not pointed any part of the agreement that has not been made public by the government. Also where were you when the government you served, secretly sneak to signed the 2015 agreement? The NDC government did not have the courtesy to tell Ghanaians about establishment of a military base in Ghana. You said the government rushed the agreement through parliament without doing a lot of consultation. If i may ask you? which past military General did you consult before signing the 2015 agreement?. Sorry General if i have offended you in my write up. Good day
Was Nunno-Mensah not part of the govt when some of these pacts were signed/renewed? Was he not part of the National Security apparatus albeit in charge of Human Security? And what did he do then? I don't want to believe that he's saying all these because the tables have turned. For once, let us be a bit morally principled!
Mr Nunno, your argument is not rational. Can you you tell more of what you other than what the Ghana-US deal says? Amazing? These are guys whom Nana described in his presidential address. We better ignore them.
it appears it is only ndc members and their sympathizers who are opposing the US-Ghana military pact. can someone please explain this? or they these individuals have sinister motives; future coup plotters!