President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been advised to use tonight’s address to the nation to apologise to Ghanaians or announce a withdrawal from the US defense cooperation agreement.
A pressure group which has been at the forefront in opposing the pact, Economic Fighters League, has also proposed that a referendum be held over the deal “for the people to decide.”
The deal, which has been ratified by Ghana’s Parliament but yet to be signed by the president, gives the US military and its civilian personnel unimpeded access to certain installations in Ghana including tax wavers.
The main opposition National Democratic Congress and other pressure groups including the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) have been part of a protest to withdraw the deal or revise it to safeguard the sovereignty of the West African nation.
President Akufo-Addo is scheduled to address the nation tonight, Thursday April 5, 2018 about the deal.
Ahead of the address, the Economic Fighters League said: “In today’s encounter Ghanaians expect an apology from the President for having been treated with so much disrespect on this issue. In the very least, we expect an announcement of the withdrawal from the agreement or the issue be put to a Referendum for the People to decide. Any other thing would amount to a continuation of the total disregard and disrespect to Ghanaians.”
Below is the full statement:
First, they tried so hard to divert attention from the Crime they have committed against Ghanaians. They forged a false conflict between ndc and npp supporters—it did not work. They narrowed on the arrest and release of Koku—it did not work. They made outrageous comments and highlighted them in their press—it did not work. They even renamed the Flagstaff House—it did not work!
As if they have not insulted our intelligence enough they started referring to similar senseless agreements signed by the NDC in the past in the hope to silence the voices of reason in society to give them the license to carry on with the current one. Now they have suddenly realised that all that it is not working! The anger of the people is graduating steadily and the President has to come in.
In today’s encounter Ghanaians expect an apology from the President for having been treated with so much disrespect on this issue. In the very least, we expect an announcement of the withdrawal from the agreement or the issue be put to a Referendum for the People to decide. Any other thing would amount to a continuation of the total disregard and disrespect to Ghanaians.
Ernesto Yeboah, Leader, Economic Fighters League (Fighters)
Starrnews
