Government To Change Policy On Cote D’ivoire

Subtle efforts are being made by government spin-doctors to backtrack on President Mills’s “Di wo fie asem” foreign policy. As the violence in Cote D’Ivoire continues to escalate, it is becoming obvious that Egya Atta’s foreign was a fiasco It is no wonder he swerved the Abuja summit as he very well knew the position that will be arrived at on Cote D’Ivoire will be in conflict with his “Di wo fie asem” policy.

The 39th Ordinary Summit of Heads of States and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ended yesterday in Abuja with a firm resolution to use force to remove the sit-tight President of Cote d’Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo if he insists on remaining in power.

“The time has come to enforce Decision 7 of December 24 2010 in order to protect life and ensure that transfer of the reigns of power to Alassane Ouattara without further delay” the regional body said in its Resolution A/RES.1/03/11 signed by its chairman and Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan.

Deputy Minister for Information Baba Jamal has stated that Ghana may change its foreign policy position on Cote D’Ivoire by committing troops to an ECOWAS intervention force.

Speaking on Peace FM’s morning show programme, Kokrokoo, the deputy minister said when president mills stated at his ‘Di wo fie asem” media encounter, that government was not in a position to contribute military troops to ECOWAS should the need for military intervention arise, the president was referring to the situation at the time, i.e. when he was talking at the press conference.

Baba Jamal was reacting to comments by Ursula Owusu to the effect that when the NPP flag bearer Nana Akuffo Addo criticized Professor Mills for his Di wo fie asem declaration and advised him to champion the position of ECOWAS which he Prof. was a signatory to,, nana was called a war monger According to Ursula all Nana said was that Ghana is a beacon in foreign policy in the sub region and a good friend of former President Bagboy and so it was important for the president to be seen to be lending his support to the sub regional body rather than make statements or act in ways to suggest that he is really not for ECOWAS.

According to Hon. Baba Jamal, the president’s position that Ghana cannot contribute troops should the need for military intervention arise was the position of the country at the time the president was addressing the media.

Hinting the possibility of a policy change, the two-time disappointed aspiring Member of Parliament and ‘Jihadist’ said “in politics, one day is a long time, one week is a very long time and a month can be a year in politics”. He explained that going by the events occurring in Cote D’Ivoire, if it gets to the stage where there is there need for military intervention and the Ghana government can contribute troops, we will.

Also on the panel was Bernard Allotey Jacobs, the embattled central regional communications director of the NDC, who was seriously reprimanded by Malik Kwaku Baako for making light, a serious issue of public concern (use of abusive language in our body politics) being discussed.

ELIKPLIM DAGADU elikplimdagadu@yahoo.com