Ghana-US military deal 'unconstitutional' - Asiedu Nketiah

General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress [NDC], Johnson Asiedu Nketiah has described Ghana’s defence cooperation agreement with the United States that will allow them to have a military base in Ghana as “unconstitutional”.

This he said forced the leadership of the NDC to parliament last Friday to “educate” the majority.

“Our presence there was very useful and we are pleased. We didn’t go there to force the majority to vote against the agreement, but rather we went there to educate them about the agreement. Constitutionally, there is no such agreement in parliament”, he said.

The Minority in Parliament last Friday staged a walkout from Parliament over the Ghana-US defence cooperation agreement for consideration and ratification.

This was after the caucus leader; Haruna Iddrisu made his side’s reservations over the agreement known 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.

This is despite massive public protest against the deal which many including the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) described as “dangerous” and a sale of Ghana’s sovereignty.

But the most talked about deal was approved by parliament despite the minority walk-out.

However, Asiedu Nketia in an interview with Neat FM's morning show ‘Ghana Montie’ was emphatic that, his party will critically review the deal and possibly suspend it when they come to power.

“We [NDC] are against the deal and we are not in support of it. That is our stance on this issue. Article 75 of our constitution state clearly how Ghana can go in such agreement with any country. The rightful procedure wasn’t used in this case. We will educate them”, he noted.