The Minority in Parliament has torpedoed the laying of the report on the Ghana-US military agreement in the House, saying it has not been thoroughly debated.
The opposition lawmakers say the 18-member Defence and Interior Committee, considering the deal, is not done interrogating the details of the agreement that will see US troops in the country.
The minority’s action comes on the back of the public backlash the agreement has generated.
Ex-president Jerry John Rawlings is the first former Ghanaian leader to caution the government against the deal, even though he is said to have signed a similar agreement in 1998 while in government.
“Ghanaians may love Americans but not to the extent of living with foreign troops on such a scale,” he tweeted Wednesday.
Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul
US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson and Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul have both defended the agreement, which they said will see the injection of $20million into the economy.
But the Minority has served notice it will oppose the deal at all levels to safeguard the security and sovereignty of Ghana.
At a sitting Thursday, Deputy Majority leader Sarah Adwoa Safo tried to lay the Defence and Interior Committee’s report on the agreement on the floor.
“The indication I have from the Committee Chairman is that it is ready,” she said.
Deputy Minority leader, James Klutse Avedzi
But Deputy Minority leader, James Klutse Avedzi opposed the laying of the report, arguing the committee is still interrogating the agreement to fine-tune it.
“The agreement is not ready so I don’t know where the Chairman is coming from, the report for this agreement is not ready,” he told the Speaker.
After hearing the argument of both Deputy leaders, the Speaker ruled against the laying of the report, charging both divides to reach a consensus on the report.
“If the report is ready it is [and] if it is not you negotiate,” Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye told Ms Adwoa Safo.
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